Recrudescence
by Beth - Geek Chick
Summary: It's been 8 years since Annie and Auggie parted in that parking garage. So much has changed, is it possible for Annie and Auggie to come together, at last? NOW COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**August 2019**

Recrudescence. Starting over. Revival. New beginning. Whatever word Hannah Levin, formerly known as Annie Walker, tried to assign to her life now, none of them seemed to fit. For the fourth time now, her life was changing. The first ended with Ben's post-it on a pillow. The second began and ended with meeting Auggie, then losing him to whatever was in Africa. The most recent started in the summer of 2012 with her assignment for a long-term undercover operative on the Mediterranean Coast as part of an Israeli Mossad cooperative agreement. She still grinned at her response to hearing that for the first time.

Sure, the CIA and Mossad worked together in the past, but she knew only one Israeli personally, and she was sure Eyal Levin had a hand in this request for her services. He'd always intrigued her, and she was happy to move on with her life with him. She hadn't expected, though, to fall in love with him. It'd happened so quickly, but she refused to allow herself to tell him. What if her feelings were just on a rebound from Auggie's brush-off?

After all, his "vacation" of the normal two weeks to a month morphed without a word to an unofficial leave of absence of which no one would tell her anything. After two months, she was crying for his return. After six, she resolved that she hated him, even if he did come back. Whether they were "friends" or "more than friends," six months without a word was unforgivable.

Even so, she couldn't quite allow herself to fall for Eyal too quickly. Until, of course, he proclaimed his undying love for her and told her he'd wait forever for her to reciprocate her feelings. Right then, Annie knew it wasn't fair to hold herself back. She was hurting herself and Eyal in the process. So, with a few tears and a silent good-bye, she accepted Eyal's love and proclaimed hers, as well.

So much changed after that. Like everything else in her life, once her decision was made, Annie devoted herself completely to Eyal and immersed herself in being his love and, six months later, his wife. He'd often referred to her as "Hannah," the Hebrew version of her name, and she embraced it. Another small consolation that was entirely Annie's idea was to dye her golden locks to a lustrous brown to blend in more with the population. Eyal was shocked, of course, but then he saw it was a show of her devotion to him. He also requested she convert to Judaism so they could be married traditionally, and Annie agreed to this, also. Not that religion played a big part in her life, but it was important to him, and she'd agreed.

A year after she'd arrived in Israel, she became Hannah Levin, putting aside Annie Walker and immersing herself fully in her undercover status, both personally and professionally. And then, a year after that, on June 1st of 2014, Hannah and Eyal Levin were blessed with the arrival of Dvorah Hadassah (Deborah Esther) Levin. Annie had never been happier in her life. The agency pulled her back out of the field, of course, and she didn't protest. She'd never thought of herself as wanting to have children, but one look in Deborah's eyes changed her mind immediately.

She worked from home, took care of her daughter and welcomed Eyal home every night. Or, if he was out saving the world, after he came home after a few days. Yes, Annie Walker, world traveler, adrenaline junkie and a woman so burned she was afraid of commitment in the worst way, was settled down, married to a loving man, and a mother.

Her bliss lasted five more years. Deborah was a month past her 5th birthday when she received the call. The one no wife wants to hear. Eyal Levin, her savior and love, was shot and killed on a mission. She begged for more details and even reached out to the CIA, but of course, no one would talk. The "need to know" protocol slapped her in the face at every turn.

She'd be despondent, depressed and probably on the next plane to…wherever, if it weren't for Deborah. The little girl, whom Annie thought would be crying uncontrollably over her beloved father, became her rock. Deborah was truly Daddy's Little Girl, even taking her dark eyes and nearly black hair from her father. Annie knew it wasn't right to lean on the little girl to help her through the first couple of weeks, but she did. Then, once she'd cried every tear left in her, she hugged Deborah with everything she had in her and promised the little girl she'd always be there for her.

They lived together, alone as widow and daughter, for a little while until Annie realized life in Israel wasn't the same without Eyal. He had no extended family to speak of, but Annie did. Eyal agreed to raise Deborah with the knowledge of her American and Israeli background, and the little girl knew she had cousins and an aunt. Their communication wasn't as frequent as Annie'd hoped over the years, but with the death of her husband, Danielle reached out.

After some long, tearful phone calls with her sister and nieces, Annie asked her daughter if she'd like to finally meet them. The little girl must have had some of Annie's adenturous spirit in her, because she didn't balk like her mother thought she would. In fact, she jumped up and down, started talking about all the places she'd like to see, and after she ran out of words, began to pack.

Annie's next step entailed putting in a call to Joan Campbell, one of two people in the agency who knew where she was and what she was doing. The other was Arthur Campbell, and between the two tight-lipped CIA directors, Annie's whereabouts for the past eight years or so had been a secret. Danielle knew, of course, but Annie swore her to secrecy. And besides, Danielle only knew as much as her sister told her, and they were only the basic facts. Annie got promoted to work in Israel, met a man, fell in love, got married and had a child.

Now Annie Walker was coming home. In deference to her daughter, she kept her assumed first name and married name. Her hair would have to stay the darker shade for a while longer now. Deborah needed some semblance of normality in her life, and to be suddenly faced with a blonde woman who called herself anything other than Hannah Levin would take away that normality.

Maybe in a few years, when she could understand, Annie would tell her daughter more details and morph back to herself. There was no need to do it any sooner. Her job didn't require her to look any certain way, and besides, it'd been eight years since she stepped foot into the CIA building. Whoever she'd known then couldn't possibly still be working there.

* * *

**Five years prior…**

September 2014

Auggie Anderson never spoke of why he packed up his meager belongings from Africa and moved back to DC in the summer of 2014. And as such, no one had been able to get one iota of information out of him. It took a bit of maneuvering to get all of his belongings out of storage and finding a new apartment, but he managed to get himself re-settled.

It'd been nearly three years, but so much had changed, at least within Auggie himself. His "vacation" to go see Parker in Eritrea slid from two weeks into a month into never wanting to leave her side ever again. For the first year, they worked side-by-side, lived together, and Auggie forgot everything else in the world. Parker was it for him. Their bliss lasted for a year. Then, inexplicably, for reasons he couldn't fathom then nor now, something seemed like it was missing. Whether it was never there or not, he didn't know. The last year was the worst. They spoke, but barely touched and never made love. When he finally decided to leave, she didn't cry or beg him to change his mind. She just said okay and wished him a nice flight.

When he finally got settled back into life in DC, he put in a call to Joan Campbell. He didn't expect for her to welcome him back with open arms. Hell, he didn't even know why he called her.

He just knew he needed to keep busy, make sure his mind was occupied. The CIA was what he knew, and since Joan never fully accepted his resignation, he held on a thread of hope that she'd welcome him back. It took a week for her to return his phone call and agree to a meeting.

He tried to morph back into the Auggie they all knew and remembered, but truthfully, he didn't feel it anymore. Whether it was the loss of Parker or the harsh life he lived in a third world country, he couldn't tell. Maybe he'd just grown up a bit. Hell, he thought, he went through several versions of maturity in the past few years.

All he wanted to do now was get his job back, and hopefully, get back in touch with the friends he left in the lurch. If they were still talking to him.

The meeting with Joan started out well, though he didn't recognize a single person as he walked through the offices. Nothing surprising about that, though. Operatives came and went on a regular basis. Maybe some of the support staff was still around, but hooking up with old friends was second on his list of priorities. First thing's first. He needed a job.

"It's good to see you again, Auggie," she said, taking his hand in a firm shake.

"Same here, Joan," Auggie replied. "It's good to know you're still around. I didn't hear a single familiar voice out there."

"You know how it goes," she said offhandedly. "But my personnel turnover is not what you came here to discuss."

"No, ma'am. I have moved back to the area," he summarized. "Parker is still in Africa. I'm looking for a job."

"Huh, is that right?"

He couldn't tell if her tone was sarcastic or honest, but he simply nodded and waited for her response. She knew his qualifications.

"Our tech ops is fully staffed now. I had no choice after, well, you know. I'd rather not incur the wrath of my employees by just installing you back in that chair."

Auggie's heart sunk a bit, and he nodded, readying himself to thank his former boss and leave. Maybe he'd go into business for himself or apply to the FBI or NCIS. His skills could easily transfer.

"But I do have one other opening I'm having trouble filling," she continued, and Auggie sat up straighter.

"I need an assistant."

Had his irises still reacted, Auggie was sure they'd be dilating right now. "You want me to be your secretary?" he asked, trying damn hard not to scoff.

"Secretary?" Joan mimicked him. "That term went out 50 years ago. And really, Auggie, do I look like I need a secretary? Besides, no one in this building is just a secretary or a receptionist. The switchboard operator can double as a SWAT team member should the need arise."

He heard her stand and walk around her desk until he assumed she was standing directly in front of him, leaning against it.

"The position I'm referring to would be Assistant Director of DPD, directly under me. No one I've interviewed as of yet has the qualifications or my trust. The past three years aside, I do trust you. Tell me, Auggie, can I trust you again?"

Auggie swallowed as the information passed through his ears to his brain. What she was offering was more than he dreamed, more than he deserved, he knew. Once he got his breath back from the shock, he asked, "This is a one-time chance, I'm assuming?"

"Absolutely. Disappear on me again, and I'll make sure you never appear anywhere. Ever again."

Yeah, that was slightly intimidating, Auggie thought. Not many people on the earth could incur a queasy stomach in him, but the Campbells, he knew, had enough information about him and knew his weaknesses.

Putting aside his kneejerk response to make a sarcastic or even threatening response, Auggie stood and held his hand out to his boss. "Understood. Boss."

She returned his handshake and went back around to sit in her chair. "I'll start the paperwork. Expect a phone call next week."

"Oh, yeah, you'll be needing –"

"I've already got your contact information, Auggie, including your new address. Did you think you could just leave here, and no one would care?"

"No, director, I didn't," Auggie said with a small smile. "I'll be looking forward to your call."

He went to leave, but before his hand hit the door knob, he remembered one other thing he wanted to ask. "Excuse me, Joan."

"Yes?"

"I haven't heard from Annie since – well, since I left. Is there any way –"

"Annie Walker is out of country on a longterm undercover mission."

"I see. Thank you, Joan," Auggie said, letting himself out. As he made his way back out of the building, his emotions were in a turmoil. Happiness because not only did he get his job back, but he got a promotion, and in additio nto that, the trust of Joan back. But for some reason, he expected Annie to still be here. He'd thought of surprising her and asking if she'd be up for a drink, and could they talk? Had he been so caught up in his own fantasy world he created with Parked that he took Annie's presence for granted? He shook his head at his own naivete. Of course, he had. And now he'd lost her.

* * *

**A/N New Annie/Auggie story! Yay! This story idea does not belong to me, however. Miss Call2Worship sent me a PM a little while ago with this idea, and I immediately fell in love with it. After thanking her profusely, I started to work. It's much different than any other story, as you can tell. A LOT of backstory to cover and line up. I hope I wrote it clear enough so that you get the gist of what's happened to both of them over the past 8 years since they parted. If not, tell me, and I'll publish the "timeline" I've created.**

**Thanks and please review/alert. Love to see my inbox full the morning after publishing!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you all for the wonderful reception to my new story! Again, initial idea belongs to call2worship, and she's been feeding me great hints here and there to keep the muse happy. Love ya, honey!**

**And now, the moment you've waited for:**

* * *

Annie Walker felt an extremely odd sense of déjà vu walking into the CIA building the morning of August 30th, 2019. So many years ago, she'd strolled through the same doors, full of enthusiasm and wonder. She half-expected to find Conrad Sheehan walking up to her, or at least his newest incarnation, but no. Perhaps her young, fresh face and bouncing blonde hair in the past attracted the male staff, but she doubted she would do so now.

Her skin had tanned and slightly weathered in the Mediterranean sun and desert wind. Her hair was dark and pulled back off of her face. The new Annie Walker went by a different name, as well, and as she handed her Hannah Levin ID to the guard inside the door, it took a minute for him to okay her through.

While she waited, the image of her daughter going off to her private school that morning came up in her mind, making her smile. Deborah had been attending the school for a week now, but for the first time, her private nanny would be picking her up instead of her mom. The little girl had been so used to her mother working from home, she couldn't quite fathom why she had to leave this time.

It took a couple of days of explanation and assurance until Annie felt confident that no tears would be shed today. No, instead, Deborah wished her luck, and as Annie did her, made sure she was dressed "pretty" and had her lunch.

Amazing, Annie thought as she swept through the security check and headed to the Domestic Protection Division. Private schools, private nannies, a decent house in an upscale neighborhood. Her daughter's upbringing was going to be vastly different than her own, or even those of her nieces. As Eyal's sole family, she inherited everything of his. That, plus the generous life insurance they received assured Annie that Deborah would never want for anything.

Plus, Annie wanted to continue working, and she wouldn't feel safe if she had just a babysitter watching her daughter. She owed Eyal more than that.

Glancing at her watch, she hastened her steps and finally made it to the large glass doors of the DPD. Joan was expecting her, but as she walked through and looked around, didn't recognize anyone. There were slight changes. Less desks, different doorways. Joan assured her that her office was still in the same place as she had refused to give up the view.

Annie had already walked up the stairs to Joan's office when she realized she hadn't even glanced at Tech Ops. That thought came and went, though. It'd been months since she'd last thought of Auggie. Their time together seemed almost a lifetime ago.

She knocked on the door, but it swung open on the first tap. The office was empty, but Annie knew Joan was expecting her, so she went in. She sat on the couch and took in details, comparing them to her memories. A few more pictures sat on her desk. Annie wanted to go look at them, but Joan's office door opened.

"Hannah Levin?"

Annie automatically stood when the door opened, if nothing out of courtesy to whom she believed was her boss. But she wished she were still sitting, as the tall, muscular, perpetually smiling, forever unseeing man stood in the door; one hand on doorknob, the other holding his infamous laser cane.

She tried to respond, but felt her mouth had suddenly gone dry. Why couldn't she say anything? She'd written Auggie Anderson off years ago. If anything, she should be angry at him.

"Ms. Levin?" Auggie said again louder, and his cane began to sweep the room.

Not wanting to seem rude or appear as if she were hiding, Annie replied quietly, "Yes?"

"Director Campbell will be with you in a few minutes."

And with a smile and a click of the door, he was gone.

Annie dropped back down onto the couch, her pulse racing and her mind spinning. Shouldn't he have recognized her? He always recognized her. What was going on here? Then it hit her. Her name, of course. Her new, Hebrew-based, married name.

Her perfume was different, as well, and he hadn't heard her walking. She'd always assumed that's how he knew it was her in the past, right? Annie shook her head and gave herself a mental head slap. She thought she'd grown past the girlish flutter Auggie's presence had always given her in the past. Maybe it was just the shock of seeing him, she thought. Had she known he still worked here, seeing him again wouldn't have caused this reaction.

Comfortable with that explanation, Annie sat back and composed herself for when the door opened again. She braced herself for another view of Auggie, but Joan entered. She smiled at the woman, glad to finally see a friendly, knowing face. Only Joan and Arthur knew of her undercover status all these years.

"Mrs. Levin, I wouldn't have recognized you with that hair."

Annie walked over with hand outstretched, but it was batted aside in favor of a full-on hug. She'd never known her boss to be so friendly and hands-on with her employees, but she gratefully accepted it.

"I'm sorry about Eyal," Joan whispered.

Annie closed her eyes at the mention of his name, the familiar feeling of sadness washing over her. It'd only been a couple of months, but still his memory would cause a tear or two when she least expected it.

"Thank you, Joan."

"How is Deborah?"

"Fitting in well. She's been my rock. So much like her father."

"Perhaps we can arrange a playdate sometime."

Annie pulled back and looked at Joan's smirking face. "You mean?"

Joan nodded, "Arthur retired a couple of years after you left after getting hurt in the field. Our lives got much easier, as you could well imagine. William turned 5 last week."

This time, it was Annie's turn to hug Joan, and the two women clung to each other in a sisterly embrace.

"Okay, that's enough touching for this office," Joan said, releasing Annie and motioning her to a chair. "Have to keep up some decorum."

An hour later, after some paperwork and catching up, Annie was back in action, officially. Her duties would be the same as when she was in Israel, desk work. She didn't mind, though. Deborah changed her. Sometimes the need for a little adrenaline thrill overcame her, but she worked it out of herself on the treadmill.

As she walked out of Joan's office down to her own, smaller one, Annie wondered if she should have asked about Auggie's presence. But then again, Joan didn't mention him, either. Every time his name popped up in her mind during the hour she and Joan were talking, her nerves flared up again.

No, she'd wait until she got settled. She had way too many unanswered questions and unsoothed heartstrings to talk about him or to him right now. A small part of her still hated him for leaving and not contacting her ever again.

For the rest of the morning, Annie set up her office and made a list of everything she'd need and want. She even had a window, so a houseplant was definitely put on the list. She always carried a photo of Danielle, so she set that up next to her monitor.

It was like her first day at work here all over again. That is, minus getting shot at by an AK-47, almost losing her Louboutins and lying to a Federal Agent. She laughed aloud at her own joke and got back to work.

Throughout the day, she settled in, getting herself acquainted with the department's changed layout, a few co-workers she passed in the hall, and the new food and drink selections in the food court.

She never ran across Auggie again. Maybe in a few days, if nothing else happened, she'd ask Joan about him, but for now, she hid. Her new name would never give her away, as would the years on her face and dark hair.

* * *

Though he'd been the DPD's assistant director for five years now, Auggie still felt rushed off his feet with all the work needing to get done on a daily basis. He didn't know how Joan did it by herself all those years. No wonder she had a hard time filling this position. Even with his honed skills of talent, knowledge and intution, Auggie felt pushed to the limit some days.

So when his office door unexpectedly open, and he caught the cologne and footsteps of the new head of Tech Ops, Stu Heatherton, he groaned. "Now's not a good time, Stu."

"Not in here to pick your brain, boss."

"Then what is it?" Auggie asked, trying his hardest to keep the tiredness out of his voice.

"Annie Walker. She's back."

Auggie's eyes shut at the mention of her name, and he swallowed down the swell of emotion – regret, sadness, grief – that rose in his throat. "Stu, don't you think I'd know if Annie were back?"

"I saw her, Auggie. She's changed. Man, has she changed, but I saw her at the Starbucks. She drinks the same coffee, and I'd recognize her voice anywhere."

Auggie's hands began to shake, and he gripped them together to mask his nerves. "Again, Stu, I think I'd know if she were back."

"I know, I know, but she walked back into this department after getting her coffee and walked into one of those small offices down the hall. The nameplate said Hannah Levin. What's up with that?"

Auggie's chair rolled back about three feet as he abruptly stood up. Hannah Levin. She's the woman Joan had an appointment with that morning. He'd been, briefly, in the same room with her. Why hadn't he noticed? Why hadn't Joan told him? Why –

He pushed aside all the questions piling up in his brain and threatening to topple over and pushed past Stu out of his office. He knew what office Stu had been referring to. Recently vacated by a retiring case officer, Auggie had put in the request to have the nameplate of Hannah Levin made up last week.

Whether or not Stu was correct that Hannah Levin was, indeed, Annie – his Annie – he needed to know. The last he'd heard of her was Joan informing him when he came back five years ago that she was on an undercover long-term op.

Undercover. Of course, he thought. But why would she still be using an alias? Why – No, he told himself. Not now. First thing's first.

He came to the door, took a deep breath and knocked.

* * *

Annie's plan was proceeding very well until a half hour before quitting time. A knock sounded on her partially opened door, and Annie shouted "Come in!" without looking up.

The door opened and closed, and when the person didn't speak, she turned. Auggie stood there, a look of incredulity, shock, and hope shining through his deep brown eyes.

Damn, she thought, as she took in the sight of him. Why was it that some men get better-looking as they get older? Maybe it was his haircut. It no longer waved over his forehead and collar. If anything, he'd morphed into a typical "agency man," with a well-fitting suit and short, styled hair.

She tore her eyes away from his face and took a deep breath as her emotions, once again, kicked back into high gear. She'd wanted to wait to have this talk. Did they even have to have one, though? It'd been over eight years now. She was a widow with a child, and heavens knew what he'd been up to.

It was no use sitting here and pretending she wasn't who she was and what had happened years ago didn't.

"Hello, Auggie," she said, mustering up as much normality as she could. Before, he hadn't known who she was. At her words, a look of wonder and surprise crossed his face.

"It is you."

"Yes," Annie replied.

"Then why – I mean, are you in hiding or – How come - ?"

As he continued with the questions without pausing to let her answer, Annie stood and walked up to him, grabbing his hand.

"Auggie."

Once their hands met, he seemed to come back to himself. His fingers clasped into hers, and his eyes closed, as if recognizing her finally through touch.

"Where did you go?" he whispered, his voice hitching just the slightest bit.

* * *

**A/N Aww, did I leave it on a cliffie? Yep, yep, I did. Don't want this to end too quickly. What's going to happen next? Argument, hugs and kisses, or something else?**

**Leave a word by review, if you please.**


	3. Chapter 3

At his whisper, Annie took half a step back and pulled slightly on her hand until he released it. "Where did I go?" she repeated. "Are you serious? You left first."

"They wouldn't tell me," he started to explain, but she interrupted. Her words were harsh, but her voice came across as cool and calculated, almost Joan-like. The effect startled him into silence.

"I asked for you, looked for you, called, sent messages. For two months, I kept hope because I thought no, no way Auggie would just leave without telling me, without telling his friend."

"Annie, let me –"

"If you were on a mission, I could understand the secrecy and need-to-know, but you weren't, were you? I hated you after that, Auggie."

"Do you still –"

"Then the undercover position came up, a liaison of sorts with the Mossad in Israel. I jumped at the chance to get away. It's where I spent the last eight years, until I had to come home."

Annie's palms were going to have permanent indentures from her fingernails digging into them, but she had no choice. She was trying so hard to keep her voice emotionless that she had to divert her anger and frustration somewhere. A frustration that was mounting with every second that he stood there, mouth opening and closing as if trying to find something to say.

She wanted to scream at him, make him say one thing, just one sentence or even a phrase that would explain his behavior eight years ago. The seconds ticked by as the air in her small office thickening so much so that Annie almost felt it difficult to breathe.

The harsh ringing of her phone sliced through the tension, and Annie stalked over to it before noticing that it was the line she'd set aside for Deborah. As soon as she'd gotten to her office that morning, she'd sent a message to her nanny, Rebecca, about where to contact her throughout the day.

She took a deep breath to quell her emotions before answering.

"Hello? Oh, hello, sweetheart. Yes, my first day went very well, thank you for asking. How about you? School good? Did you get a lot of homework? Well, maybe next year you'll have homework. Has Rebecca made you a snack? Good. I'll be home in 45 minutes, okay? Then we'll cook supper together. I love you, too. Bye."

Annie smiled as she hung up. Deborah's sweet voice stilled the anger she'd felt bubbling up earlier, and she turned back to Auggie, but all she saw was a flash of his suit as he walked out. Her hand clenched again, and she let out an audible groan of annoyance. She had half a mind to run after him, if only to kick him in the shins with her pointy stilettos.

This was why she wanted to wait to talk. Nothing concrete could be accomplished now, not when her emotions were so on top of her. Eyal's death had struck her hard, and she'd nearly cried in Joan's office just hours before.

She dropped down in her chair. Deborah was waiting for her at home. She just hoped she could get a hold of herself before she got there. Her little girl's had so much turmoil in her life thus far, she deserved a mother who could control herself much more than Annie was doing right now.

* * *

Auggie stalked down the hallway, his mind whirling and his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. He had one destination in mind, and he refused to leave there unless he had some answers. He heard Stu asking him something as he passed him, but he waved the man off.

Decorum and a want to keep his job, at least, stopped him at Joan's door, and he knocked firmly. At her acknowledgement, he walked in and went straight up to her desk.

"Why did no one tell me that Annie Walker returned?"

"Technically, she hasn't. Her name officially, or until she decides to return to her maiden name, is Hannah Levin."

"Maiden name?" Auggie ground out. "Annie's married?"

"Auggie, this is a conversation you need to be having with her, not me."

Grabbing the back of an office chair tightly, Auggie said, "I just tried to, until we were interrupted by a phone call from her daughter."

"Deborah, yes. About the same age as mine and Arthur's son, actually."

No longer able to keep his frustration, Auggie lifted the back of the chair slightly and slammed it on the floor. "You knew about that, as well?"

"Lower your voice in this office, Anderson," Joan said. "No one was 'keeping' this information from you. Annie was in a deep undercover covert operation. You know our protocol."

"Oh, really? And this undercover operation required that she get married and – and have children? Why –" Auggie clenched the chair back again, fighting against his deepest urge to throw it against the wall. He hadn't felt this out of control for years, and he dug deep to quell it, telling himself he'd work it out with his punching bag later.

"Auggie."

The closeness of Joan's voice broke through to Auggie, and he straightened.

"I will not break protocol nor Annie's trust by divulging her life for the past eight years to you right now. What I will tell you is that she's had a rough time of it recently, and your attitude right now will do nothing but drive her further away."

"I know," he said.

"You two were close before, but that was years ago. You know that. And before you start going on about how you've been misled, remember your own actions back then. Leave it be for now, Auggie. We all have jobs to do, and if you can't keep your mind on the game, I'll find someone who can."

The threat was quietly spoken, but Auggie knew he deserved it. He also knew he had a lot of thinking and a lot of explaining to do. "You're right, Joan. I apologize for my behavior just now. It won't happen again."

"I know it won't," Joan said, her hand on his arm leading him towards her door. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a husband and son to get home to."

The walk back to his office left Auggie frustrated and nearly despondent. What the hell, he thought, as he dropped into his chair and let his head fall into his hands. 15 minutes. 15 minutes ago, life was so easy. He had a job, an apartment, friends. All that didn't matter at all right now.

Annie was back. His Annie. All the time he was with Parker, he missed Annie. Especially towards the end when his relationship dissolved into nothingness. He kept comparing the two women, which he knew wasn't fair to either of them, but he couldn't help it. He also couldn't believe his stupidity that he'd ultimately chose the wrong woman. It was so easy with Parker, though. From the beginning, they knew what the other wanted, and they took it.

He found out too late that what they had – lust, affection, friendship – did not equal love and never would. No, love required more than that, and when it hit him that what they were missing he'd always had with Annie, he knew he had to leave. But when he'd returned, Annie was gone. Even with his skills, he was never able to find her. Now he knew why. A new name, a – a husband, and probably a child by that point.

Just picturing Annie holding a child conceived with a man that wasn't him caused a wave of grief to wash over him, and he had to dig the heels of his hands into his eyes to hold back the tears.

* * *

15 minutes after Auggie left her, Annie just about had her anger willed away when another knock sounded on her door. She shouted out for the person to come in while mentally willing it not to be Auggie.

"Mrs. Levin? Just wanted to offer the services of the Technical Operations Office if you ever needed them."

Annie whirled in her chair at the slightly familiar voice and let out a squeal of excitement when she saw Stu Heatherton standing in her doorway. "Stu!" she cried, relief running through her as she stood and greeted him with a hug. "Come in!"

Once she had him in a chair, she sat on the edge of her desk and smiled at him. "I thought everyone I knew had moved on. Besides Joan, of course."

"Nope, not moved on, but up. Once it was clear that Auggie wasn't coming back, Joan opened his position, and voila, head of Tech Ops."

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks."

"But if you're the new head, what is Auggie doing?" Annie asked.

"Didn't he come see you?"

"Yeah, but I got a phone call, and –" Annie swallowed and forced a smile. "I guess something came up, 'cause he left."

The man's large dark eyes narrowed at her, and she was pretty sure he didn't buy her explanation, but thankfully, he didn't push the issue.

"Then I'll fill you in, if no one else has yet. Auggie is Assistant Director of the DPD now, Joan's right-hand man, if you will."

"Oh, wow," Annie breathed. "That's amazing. I didn't know."

"Yeah. What about you, though? If I hadn't heard you order the 'Annie special' at Starbucks, I wouldn't have guessed that, well, you were you," he said, gesturing to her hair.

"Oh, right," Annie said, lifting a hand to her head. "Kind of a long story, but since the operation's over, and I'm back in the US, it's not so secret anymore. The gist of it is, I went to Israel, worked with Eyal Levin, remember him? Well, suffice to say, we got together, got married, and had a daughter. The hair was part of the undercover, to fit in better, but it's all Deborah's seen me as, so I'm keeping it up for now for her sake."

"Wow, that's a sweet love story," he commented.

"Yeah," Annie said. "I'd still be there, probably, but, umm, you see, Eyal –" Annie closed her eyes against the familiar wave of sadness. "He was killed on a mission two months ago."

"Annie, I'm so sorry."

She nodded and took another couple of deep breaths to soften the sadness and dry her eyes. "It's okay. Deborah's been my lifesaver. I don't know what I would've done without her."

"Deborah's your daughter's name?"

"Yes."

"It's beautiful. I get that Levin is your married name, but where does the Hannah come in?"

Annie laughed, "From Eyal. He said it's the Hebrew version of Anne, and I don't know, it just seemed right since I was giving myself completely over to my cover that I would use Hannah Levin once we were married."

Stu nodded, then stood. "It's good to have you back, Mrs. Levin."

"Stu, just call me Annie. I'll be changing it back in a few years, anyway."

Annie hugged him good-bye again and watched as he left, shutting the door after himself. Well, she thought, if Auggie wasn't speaking to her, at least she'd have one friend she could count on. And really, talking about what happened lifted a bit of the sadness she felt. She hoped it wouldn't be long before she could feel that way all the time.

* * *

Auggie had just mindlessly and methodically shut down his equipment when his door opened again, and though for a split second he hoped it was Annie, Stu's steps and cologne entered his office.

"Got plans for tonight?" Stu asked.

Auggie shook his head. Not that he did much these days, anyway, but work here or at home.

"Good, then you're coming out for a drink with me."

"Don't really feel up to it."

"Too bad. I just talked with Annie, and there's some things you need to know."

Auggie froze in his tasks and turned towards him. "What'd she say?"

"Not here. I have a feeling considering the look on both of your faces that some intervention and explanation is needed. It's bad enough seeing you mope around this place for years, I don't need two of my friends bringing me down."

Auggie knew it wasn't exactly fair to hear Annie's story from anyone other than her, but maybe Stu was right. Joan refused to tell him, and he currently wasn't able to talk to Annie without both of their emotions getting in the way.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

**A/N Do you know how awesome all of you are? I love hearing from new readers, and the alerts/reviews for just two chapters – no words can express my love for all of you.**

**To what's happened so far, do you think Annie/Auggie's reactions are fair and/or warranted? I think it's going to take a bit for these two to get beyond their eight years of heartache/heartbreak before they can move on. But don't worry, I'm not going to make them wait another eight years to do so.**

**Please leave a word. Every review I get makes me want to write even faster. I know everybody says that, but hey, it's true.**

**A/N/N Fanfiction is not sending me copy e-mails when I post a new chapter, so those who have this on story alert, could one or a few of you tell me when/if you review if you got the e-mail alert? Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Deborah, my love, I'm home!" Annie shouted as she opened the door of her new townhouse. Within a few seconds, fast running feet echoed through the house. Annie quickly divested herself of her purse and heels as she waited for the onslaught.

"Hello, ema!" Annie heard before a few feet worth of dark hair, elbows and knees rounded the corner and launched into her arms.

"Oh, I missed you so much!" Annie cried, lifting the girl up in her arms and twirling her around.

"Miss you, too, ema."

Though the girl was slightly too big to carry, Annie tucked her into her hip and walked through the house to the kitchen, where she knew Rebecca would be. "Did you have fun today?"

"So much fun!" Deborah answered, nodding her head so fast, her hair swung around her shoulders.

"Good to hear," Annie said. As they reached the kitchen, Deborah began squirming to be let down, and Annie let her, watching her daughter scurry over to the breakfast table which held the remnants of a small plate of crackers and juice.

"Mrs. Levin?"

Annie turned to see Rebecca McAndrews, Deborah's nanny, standing a few feet away, a hot cup of tea in her hands. She accepted it with a grateful smile, but secretly wished it were a mug of beer. She started at the thought. She'd had a mug of beer with Auggie after her first day of work eight years ago. Damn. Why now? It had to be just the shock of seeing him again, after writing the man off completely out of her life.

"Mm, delicious, as always, Rebecca. Thank you."

"You're welcome, my dear," the older woman said. "And if you have nothing else for me to do, I'll be off."

"Nothing at all. See you tomorrow?"

Rebecca smiled and gave Deborah one last hug and kiss on the cheek before gathering her purse and sweater and leaving. Annie began looking through the cupboards and refrigerator, wondering what she could possibly make Deborah for supper. More items sat on the shelves than she remembered. It seemed Rebecca took the hours while Deborah was at school to go shopping.

She shook her head at the woman's resourcefulness. She only wished she had half the energy Rebecca had 30 years from now. They'd met through an employment agency that Annie had consulted once she and Deborah settled back in the DC area. At first hesitant to leave her daughter alone with a veritable stranger, Annie's fears were soon soothed. Rebecca had made it her life's work taking care of other's children after hers had "left the nest." The fact that she counted Annie as someone to take care of, as well, made Annie feel as if her mother were there again.

Danielle visited when she could, but as a single mom with her own business and two now teenaged daughters, Annie didn't want to lean on her too much. She'd done way too much of that in the past, and it was time she stood on her own two feet. But still, meeting Auggie again, after all these years, might warrant a call to her sister.

A smile came to her face as she remembered quarts of Ben & Jerry's between them in the past.

"Ema, what you doing?"

Annie looked down at Deborah, standing next to her with a perplexed look on her face. "Just deciding what to have for dinner."

"I want cookies."

"You always want cookies," Annie laughed. She took one more glance back into the refrigerator and sighed. "You know, I really don't feel like making supper. What do you say we go out and eat?"

"Yay!" Deborah yelled, louder than normal for any other 5-year-old, but before Annie could remind her about indoor voices, the girl was off to her bedroom.

* * *

Auggie sat stoically at what was his and Annie's table at Allen's Tavern, listening intently as Stu retold the conversation he had with Annie just an hour ago. Part of him screamed at him that he should be getting this information from her, but for now, he'd take whatever he could get.

He'd been almost surprised that Stu had offered to play go-between. Though a loyal friend and kick-ass Tech Ops head, Stu was also the most discreet person he'd ever met. You never had to ask him to keep something a secret, 'cause it was a given that he wasn't one to gossip.

So he listened as Stu told him about Annie's long-term op to Israel and hooking up with Eyal Levin. His memory of the man was sketchy, as he'd only met him a few times. They'd never talked too much, but he'd heard Annie talking about him years ago. For Annie to give herself so fully to a man like that must mean that she loved and trusted him. To change her name, her looks (she was a brunette now, he couldn't comprehend that ), her country for him proved that.

He already knew they had a daughter. His hyper-sensitive hearing caught the high-pitched tones of the girl when Annie answered the phone. He shouldn't have left then, but Annie was already angry enough at him. If she'd seen his reaction to the fact that she had so fully moved on without him, he was sure she'd never speak to him again.

That thought gave way to another one, that Annie had no idea of his regard for her before he left, and again, his brain started its tennis match of lobbing excuses and explanations back and forth. He was so deep into his pity party that when Stu said something about "widow," he stopped him.

"Wait, what'd you say?"

"Annie told me that Eyal was killed a couple months ago. I remember hearing something in the chatter about it. Shot in the field, no further information available."

"Jesus," Auggie swore.

"Yeah, she still looked really sad about it. Guess that's why she came back. Her cover was as his wife."

"I can't believe it," Auggie said, his empty beer bottle sliding from one hand to the other. " Annie's a mother and a widow."

"Yep, and just turned 35, if my memory's right," Stu said.

Auggie nodded. He was on the verge of 40 and suddenly feeling every year of that. "What am I gonna do, Stu?"

"Seriously?" Stu barked out a laugh. "Like I know? I only brought you here to tell you this so you'd have some background before talking to her. Knowing you, you'd push her away, and she'd run. Again."

"You think she agreed to go to Israel because she was running away? From what?"

Auggie shook his head and held up a hand, knowing the answer to his own question. He knew what she was running away from. Her first words to him related to that, plus how she'd come to hate him after a while. God. Hate. How hadn't he known? Maybe he did, but refused to acknowledge it. Hindsight's 20/20, even when you're blind. He'd had all the answers back then. He'd convinced himself that Annie's affection was simply friendship, and as he'd thought his entire life since Tikrit, she'd acted out of pity.

How could he have been so naïve, so immature? He thought he had all the answers back then, that he knew better than anyone else.

"She said she hated me," he confided.

"Yeah, all of us didn't like you too much for a while there."

"Hate, Stu," Auggie repeated, shaking his head. "It's logical, right, that to suddenly hate someone like she said she did, she must've felt something before."

"Damn, Aug. Are you dense? Of course, she did. Look, are you gonna stay here all night? 'Cause I just came to talk and drink. I've done that. Need a ride home, or are you going to take up the offer of the girl that's been staring a hole through your head since we got here?"

Auggie shook his head. He knew someone had been staring at him the hour they were there, but his days of picking up coeds stopped five years ago. He never figured out why, and after a while, stopped guessing.

As they walked out of the bar and turned to walk the couple of blocks to Stu's car, he said, "One thing, Aug, then I'm officially out of this. Give her a few days, okay? She still looks a little out of sorts, so let her settle in first before you start the interrogation."

* * *

Auggie decided to take Stu's advice, though it was difficult for him the next couple of days to not walk down the hallway to her office or expect her every time his door opened. She'd obviously gotten a new perfume, and though he didn't recognize it to know the name, it was seared on his olfactory memory. Still faint, like she wore her other one, but deeper and a bit spicier.

After two days passed with no further visit from Auggie, Annie began to relax. Her anger at him, little by little, began to slide away. She thougth she'd left it all behind before she left for Israel, but seeing him again brought everything back like a phantom pain.

It wasn't very fair of her to project her feelings onto him like that, she told herself. Eight years ago, she never said anything to him about feeling more than friendship. Just because he chose Parker before she could meant she was in the wrong, not him. He was simply following his heart.

Yeah, that'd do for a band-aid, Annie thought, chuckling at her own reasoning. Even if he didn't know of her burgeoning love for him, she was still his friend. And he should have told his friends he wasn't returning.

That conundrum was still playing through her mind come Thursday, when she walked towards Joan's office to drop off some work. When she passed one partially opened door, she heard her name called out.

"Hannah!"

"Yes?" she asked, turning.

Auggie emerged from the office. "Knew it was you," he said with a grin. "New perfume and all."

"Oh, right."

"So, yeah. Are you here with that project for Joan?" he asked, the grin slipping from his face.

"Yes, I am."

"I'll take it," he said, holding out his hand. "Joan told me to expect you, as something's come up with William, and she had to leave for a few hours."

"Ahh, so it wasn't just my perfume," Annie teased as she placed the packet in his outstretched hand.

And for a few seconds, they were thrown back in time when such jibes and banter made up most of their interaction. Annie saw the grin return, but before it could transform into the full-on blinding smile, the moment passed.

"A mix of the both," he said with a shrug. A few more seconds ticked by, and Annie wondered if he had something else for her to do, or something else to say. She was about to ask him when he began to speak again.

"I – umm, I heard about Eyal. I'm really sorry that had to happen to you. And, of course, your daughter. That must have been tough, being over there by yourselves when it all went down."

Auggie had been thinking for a few days now whether or not to reveal to her that he now knew what happened. He didn't want to break Stu's confidence, but she had to know that information like that was available now, and as a friend, even an old one that unwittingly broke her heart, he should express his condolences.

"Yes," she said. "It was. I don't know what I would have done if Deborah hadn't been there for me."

"She has a wonderful mother."

"Thanks," Annie whispered, the usual sadness she felt whenever the death of her husband and the events of this summer quelled slightly. Auggie always had that effect on her in the past. No matter what situation she was in, personally or professionally, just knowing he was there on her side caused the doubts to back off just a bit.

"You're welcome. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Auggie, hold on," Annie said. "Would you – I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but would you like to meet her?"

"Meet your daughter?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah, maybe this weekend or something? But I guess you're probably busy or something, or have plans with someone else, but I was thinking that, you know –"

Auggie stopped her rambling and interrupted, "I'd love to."

* * *

**A/N Ahh, so the angst has backed off, just a bit. These two are remembering how it used to be, and both wondering if it could ever be again. Wanted to introduce Deborah to everyone this time around, as we're getting pretty far into our story here. I'm picturing her as a super smart, savvy bundle of energy that only having two super spies as parents would have.**

**By the way, Ema means Mommy in Hebrew. Thanks, call2worship, for the help. I'd thought of Annie inviting Auggie to Shabbat Friday night, but as I've never attended one, I'm not sure I could do it justice and get it right.**

**Thinking of inserting Jai in here somewhere, if nothing but to complete the cast out in the "where are they now" backgrounds. I figured it'd be too simple to have him as the NCS director, but what else? Hmm.**

**Please review. You guys are knocking every other story I've written out of the water with your feedback.**

**Love you all to bits and pieces!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Excuse me, Mrs. Levin, but is something bothering you this morning?"

Annie broke from her reverie to see Rebecca, her nanny, staring at her across the kitchen.

"No, nothing. Why do you ask?"

"Because you've been staring into the cup of coffee I prepared for a few minutes now. Is it not strong enough?"

"No, it's perfect, as usual," Annie said, taking a sip to show her that it was, indeed, delicious. "I've just got a friend coming over in about an hour."

"A friend? Someone from work, perhaps, or an old friend?"

Annie smiled at the woman's perceptiveness. She'd make quite the spy herself, had she known that's what Annie was. "Both, actually."

"Well, I've finished all of my duties for today, but if you've got company, should I stay to prepare lunch for everyone, or perhaps take Deborah to the park so you could talk?"

Annie shook her head, "No, that's not necessary. Auggie's coming to meet Deborah."

"Auggie?" Rebecca asked, "A man, then?"

"Yes, he was – is one of my best friends," Annie said, wondering if she should order some food in, as it was something of a special occasion. Deborah's tastes, especially since they started living in the US, have changed to loving macaroni and cheese and sandwiches.

"You've never mentiond him before.."

Where would I start, Annie thought. "It's a long story."

"Does it have a happy ending?"

Annie shook her head, "Don't know yet."

Rebecca nodded her understanding, and as she passed Annie to leave, she placed an age-worn on her shoulder. "If you ever need someone to talk to, don't hesitate, Mrs. Levin."

"Thank you, Rebecca. I may have to take you up on that offer."

"Then I'll see you Monday morning. Have a good weekend."

"Good-bye, Nanny Becca!" Annie heard Deborah shout out from the living room where she was watching cartoons, which she had since become almost addicted to when they first got back in DC.

Annie knew she should cut down on her TV watching time, but now was not the morning to have that conversation. Auggie was due to arrive in an hour, and she still wasn't sure what was going to happen. Their conversation – well, what passed for a conversation between them – on Thursday was something of a breakthrough, but now she wondered if she shouldn't have waited for a bit longer.

No, no, she thought to herself. No more second-guessing and tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. She was in the DPD. He was in the DPD. They worked together. There was no reason why the events of eight years ago should preclude them from getting along now.

Yeah, that'll do for a start, Annie thought. She headed to her bedroom to change for Auggie's arrival. Deborah already put on one of her new sundresses and was eagerly awaiting his arrival, as Annie told her over breakfast they were having company.

At 11am on the dot, the doorbell rang, and Annie took a deep breath before joining Deborah at the door to open it. Auggie stood there, looking as handsome as he always did in jeans and a t-shirt. His attire, though, didn't cause her to smile. It was the two bunches of flowers he carried in his hands.

"Hi, Auggie, come in," she said, reaching out to touch his elbow and lead him into the living room. "Deborah, this is Auggie Anderson, a friend of mine. Auggie, Deborah Levin, my daughter."

"Hi, Deborah, this is for you," he said, holding out the small bunch of white daisies. "And these are for you, Annie," he said, holding out the larger mix of wildflowers.

Both mother and daughter took their gifts, and Annie had to fight a smile as Deborah took them and held them to her nose, sniffing audibly. "They're beautiful, Mr. Auggie. Won't you please have a seat?"

Annie shook her head at her daughter's obvious playing of hostess, but Auggie nodded and accepted Deborah's hand as she led him to the couch.

"Would you like something to drink?" Deborah asked.

"No, not right now, thank you," Auggie said.

"Honey, why don't you let me have your flowers, and I'll put them in water," Annie said. "I'll be right back."

Deborah clambered up onto the couch beside Auggie, and Annie halfway heard their conversation as she searched for a vase for her flowers, and then a smaller one for Deborah's. She didn't know why she was worried about her daughter's reaction to meeting Auggie. For some reason, kids gravitated towards him, and she'd yet to see him turn his back on one. She wondered if Katia and Chloe, her nieces, still remembered their "Uncle Auggie."

She sat both vases on the dining room table and walked back into the living room just to hear Deborah asking, "But how come your eyes don't work?"

Eep, Annie thought. Maybe she should've filled Deborah in on their guest, including the fact that it wasn't polite to ask such questions, but before she could say anything, Auggie answered.

"Well, you know what an explosion is?"

"Yes. A big boom. They're really loud."

"Yes, they are. An explosion went off in front of me. It hurt my eyes."

"Does it still hurt?"

"No, not at all."

"That's good. It would really be bad if it did."

Annie nodded in agreement, then walked over to them. "Deborah, honey, could you go finish watching your cartoons in your room? I'd like to talk to Auggie, please."

"Okay," she said climbing off of the couch. "I'll see you later, Mr. Auggie."

"It was nice talking with you, Deborah."

Annie took Deborah's seat and waited until she heard her bedroom door shut before speaking. "Thank you for the flowers."

"You're welcome."

"I'm not sure if Deborah knew what hers were. Daisies weren't all that prevalent on the Mediterranean Coast." Auggie nodded, but didn't respond. By the look on his face, he was thinking the same thing she was, that one of them had to start talking soon, or else they risked being acquaintances and workmates for the rest of their lives.

"Do you think, maybe," Annie began, "that we could just forgive and forget what happened all those years ago? Start over?"

"I guess."

"It's just, it seems neither of us wants to even attempt to talk, 'cause just saying I'm sorry doesn't quite make up for it all," Annie said.

"I know. I've been trying all week figuring out what to say to you."

"Have any luck there?" Annie asked with a derisive scoff. "I've been doing the same thing, and nothing comes to mind."

Auggie did nothing but shake his head, so with the resolve she built up in herself all morning, she dove in headfist. "You know, let me just say something, first. And don't think you have to respond now or are required or expected to do anything, okay? That last day we talked, at the car. Remember, I held your hand and said I wanted to talk to you?"

He nodded his head, listening intently, but didn't say anything, and Annie was grateful for that. The last thing she needed right now was for him to interrupt or try to explain himself.

"I wanted to tell you, or ask you, I don't know. My memory of my exact thoughts of that day is hazy. But all I know is, I came to the realization that I liked you, more than a friend, and I wanted to ask how you felt about moving on into some sort of relationship."

She risked a look at his face, expecting shock, maybe a smile, but he seemed the same as before, as if he knew already. That slightly threw her, but she continued, if only to get the words out of her mind. They'd been choking her for eight years now.

"When you said you couldn't, that you were going to Africa to talk to Parker, I was shocked. I knew you two had gotten together, but you never talked about her. I had no idea that you – that you two – anyway, I was upset, and I know now that it wasn't fair to think you'd chosen her over me. But I did, anyway, for a while. When you didn't come back, Auggie, I couldn't take it. No one would tell me anything. It's like you dropped off the face of the earth. I thought maybe you'd died, but surely someone would tell me that."

She'd kept her eyes focused on her clasped hands before her as she spoke, and she noticed now that he had slid closer to her, and only a few inches separated them.

"After a couple of months, I'd gotten over the 'he chose her over me' 'cause really, you only knew me as your best friend, right? But that made it worse. We always told everyone everything. It hurt, Auggie. It really hurt."

By now, He was so close that their knees almost touched, and his hand came into view, palm up in invitation. She slid her fingers into his and continued.

"That's when the hate started. Even if you showed up then, six months later, I don't think I would have cared. The offer to liaison with Mossad in Israel, in addition to being a great opportunity, gave me the chance to get away. I found out later that Eyal had set it up, requested me personally. He –"

Annie closed off then, not quite ready to explain how she felt about her now dead husband to Auggie. She wasn't even sure she knew herself, or knew how to express it to others.

"You probably already know this, but we got married a year later, and a little while after, had Deborah. When we started dating, he started calling me Hannah, and with his last name, I became Hannah Levin. It served me well as an undercover status, that and deciding to dye my hair brown. I barely recognized myself after a while."

Auggie held his tongue during her whole speech, though with every piece of new information, every revelation, he inwardly tensed. Everything she said rang true, and though he loved her openness, he wondered if she expected the same confession from him. He would do it, of course. She needed to know everything, but apparently she wasn't finished as she began to talk again.

"When Eyal was shot, I couldn't believe it. My world had crumbled around me, once again, and trust me, I just wanted to leave, travel, go someplace I hadn't been before. But I couldn't do that this time, not with Deborah. You wouldn't believe that a 5-year-old could do it, but she kept me together for a couple of weeks. I shouldn't have let her, but I did. We left, came back here, because without Eyal, the Mossad was no longer interested in the liaison position. With Joan and Arthur's help, my duties were transferred back here into the DPD."

Feeling somewhat bare and almost empty now, Annie self-consciously slid her hand out of Auggie's and stood to retrieve her glass of water. The room almost echoed with the silence.

Of all the emotions running through Auggie, the one he felt the most was relief. He knew he didn't deserve it, but Annie still trusted him enough to tell him everything. Now was the time, of course, to reciprocate. He didn't have all the tragedy, but she needed to know what happened.

"I'm sorry, first of all, for not telling you about Parker and how close we were getting. I wanted to keep us as far away from the agency as I could. I loved her, and I'd be damned if what happened with Natasha occurred all over again. I knew she was leaving for the Peace Corps, and I thought maybe we could do the long distance thing, but she refused. She broke up with me right before she left. And then – here's something else I ddin't tell you, and again, I apologize. Stem cell therapy was being given a trial run for the blind, and I'd applied."

"Auggie!" Annie breathed, shock apparent in her voice, but Auggie raised a hand to stop her.

"They refused me. It was my last shot, and on top of Parker leaving me in the same week, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I had a feeling that Stockholm was difficult for you. Hell, I knew it. I wanted to be there for you, I did, Annie. Believe me. But I was so intent on getting some sort of control back in my life, that I left, I ran. Like a coward."

Feeling drained from her own confession, Annie felt raw enough, but upon hearing what Auggie had gone through during that time, that he was trying to get his sight back, surprised her completely.

She set the glass of water down on the table and went back to him, crouching before him and taking his hands in hers. "You're not a coward, Auggie."

"But I left you," he said, squeezing her hands. "I left you when you needed me the most."

"Geez, forget about me, okay?" she implored.

"I never did," Auggie said quietly, his thumbs stroking along the backs of her hands. "I never forgot about you."

"Ema, is Mr. Auggie staying for lunch?"

Annie shot up and whirled around to find Deborah standing by the doorway. She'd almost forgotten that Deborah was so nearby. "Yes, he is," she answered, trying to smile through the emotions she knew were still visible on her face.

"What's wrong?" Deborah asked, walking in. "Are you okay, Mr. Auggie?"

Auggie smiled at the little girl's concern and nodded, running a hand across his face. "Yes, I will be. I was just telling your Ema about some bad news I'd gotten a while ago."

"It'll be okay, Mr. Auggie," Deborah said, nuzzling her body in between his legs and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Shocked for a split second at the little girl's hug, Auggie accepted the embrace and wrapped his arms around her back. "Thank you, Dvorah."

Deborah giggled and pulled back, "How did you know my name?"

Auggie shrugged, "I know some Hebrew. "

Annie laughed as Deborah looked over to her, excitement lighting her dark brown eyes. "Uh-oh, Auggie. Now you've done it. Deborah's been wanting someone besides me to talk to since we moved back here."

"Would you, Mr. Auggie?"

"Absolutely," he said.

"Yay!" she shouted, then ran out of the room.

Annie soon heard doors and cabinets opening in the kitchen. "We'd better go help her, or else we're going to be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch."

"What's wrong with that?" Auggie asked as he grabbed his cane and walked over to her. "Ever have them with potato chips instead of jelly?"

* * *

**A/N So, I'd thought about updating Strangers on a Train, as I haven't touched it for a week, but no, Recrudescence began shouting at me, like the little spoiled story it is. Haha.**

**Actually, I just have a better feel for this story right now, and since so many of you are begging for more, more, more, and soon, soon, soon, I decided to finish up this chapter.**

**As you've now read, Annie and Auggie have confessed, and we've got the beginnings of maybe a truce between the two of them. They're still a little wary of what's going to happen now, so a decision has to be made. Do they pick up where they left off, or has too much time gone by? Or... is something brand new in the works?**

**Please review. Love you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Deborah, I can hear your Aunt Danielle pulling up. Are you ready?" Annie shouted up the staircase.

"Yes!"

The tap-tap of Deborah's new shoes echoed down, telling Annie that yes, Deborah had changed into her new sundress and sandals. When Annie had told her that Danielle was coming over, she wanted to dress up, but Annie knew her daughter well. Any excuse to play dress up was good enough for her.

The girl had more energy than was probably normal, but Annie refused to stifle it even one bit. Five-year-olds who'd been moved out of their home country and lost one of their parents in the course of a few months should be sullen and pouting. Deborah was not, and Annie felt determined to keep it that way.

A minute later, the doorbell rang, followed by Deborah's shoes thundering down the stairs. Annie hurried to beat her to the door, lest Danielle was taken out by a barreling little girl at the kneecaps.

"Annie!" Danielle said.

At least Annie thought it was Danielle. Only the top of her blonde head showed over a large, cellophane and ribbon-tied basket.

"Danielle?"

"Of course it's me!" Danielle scoffed, and walked right in. Annie had to flatten herself against the door in order for both sister and basket to fit through.

"I've brought you a house warming gift," she said, walking through to the kitchen. "Deborah!"

"Aunt Dani!"

Annie's eyes squinted at the two shrieks. If Danielle got her looks off of Eyal and her sense of adventure and energy off of her mother, she definitely got her vocal range off of her aunt. Thankfully, their voices settled into normal tones by the time Annie shut the door and met them in the kitchen.

"Thanks for the gift, Danielle, but we moved in a couple months ago, and you gave us a lovely set of dinnerware, remember?" Annie said.

Danielle rolled her eyes, "Fine. This is a gift for you, but it comes with a request."

Deborah was up on tiptoe trying to see the giant basket, so Annie lifted her onto the counter. "Ahh, a present with a strings attached. Nice touch."

"Just hear me out. My catering business is going great, but I've gotten requests for kosher-specific dinners and gifts and things like that, and since -"

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it," Annie said. "What do you say we take a look at Danielle's offerings and see if they pass the test?" she asked Deborah.

Her daughter nodded, and together, they untied the ribbon and pulled down the cellophane tape. As usual, Danielle's taste took Annie's breath away. If only she had a tenth of the woman's aesthetic, she thought. She began taking out the containers and packages.

"Let's see here. Hummus - not store bought, though. You made this?" Annie asked, astounded.

"Oh, yes, I did. It's delicious, by the way."

"Yes, I know," Annie said. "In fact, Deborah here -"

Before Annie could finish her sentence, her daughter had taken the container out of her hands and was taking the top off. Annie caught her before her fingers dipped in and handed her a package of pita chips. Knowing that was enough to keep her satisfied for a while, she helped her off the counter.

Deborah said a muffled thank you, due to a mouthful of pita, and ran off to the living room.

"Hey, it's better than a bag of Doritos," Annie said, continuing to remove items from the basket. "Actually, all of these items look good, Danielle. I take it you did some research on the internet?"

"Yep, and remembering what you told me you ate over there. What do you think about the basket presentation? I've been thinking about branching out into gift baskets, or maybe making them into centerpieces."

"It's beautiful, Danielle. Whatever you choose to do, it's always a success, you know that," Annie said.

"I still like to get your opinion."

They continued to unwrap and talk about the items until Danielle spied the vase full of wildflowers on the dining room table. The same colorful and beautiful array of flowers that Auggie brought over the day before.

"Those are beautiful. Where did you buy them? I'd love to -"

"I didn't buy them."

Danielle turned back around, her eyes gazing directly into Annie's, who could see the wheels turning in her head. "So, someone gave them to you?"

No time like the present, Annie thought. "Yes. Auggie came by yesterday."

"Auggie? As in, _the_ Auggie?" Danielle asked. "The guy you worked with and were crying over when you went to work and live in Israel?"

Annie's mouth dropped open in shock and surprise at Danielle's memory. "Yes, that Auggie. Auggie Anderson. He had lunch with me and Deborah."

"Ohh, sweetie, please tell me you're not going down that road again."

Initially, Annie's hackles rose at Danielle's tone. Then, a moment before she almost retorted back an insult, she remembered that she never told Danielle what happened in that garage, the last day she saw Auggie.

"It's different this time, Danielle. And besides, I never got the chance to tell him anything before he left."

"Wait, what? I thought you said -"

"I never said anything," Annie interrupted. "Yes, I was upset, but that's because he was leaving to go be with another woman. I was angry because he never came back, never contacted anyone again."

"Oh, damn," Danielle said. "All these years, I thought you were upset 'cause he turned you down, and then you never wanted to talk about it."

She could see Danielle starting to get emotional, so Annie came around the counter and hugged her. "It's okay. It's my fault. I should have told you."

"So, where'd you meet up with him? Did you call him, did he call you?" Danielle asked.

Annie leaned against the counter with her elbows. "This is where it gets weird. He's back working, in my office."

"But you said he left."

"He did. He's back now, as assistant director. If my boss isn't there, he's in charge. It's so weird, though. I've got my own office, and I pretty much work alone. We only see each other every once in a while."

"So, are you two going to date now, or are you -"

"Danielle, he's my friend. He always was my friend. Whether anything else comes of that, I don't know. Besides, Eyal only died two months ago. I'm not interested in getting involved with anyone right now."

She could tell Danielle was looking at her closely, and she ducked her head down, allowing her hair to fall over her cheek in a curtain.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," Danielle said softly.

"It's okay," Annie said. "It's been a little crazy this past week, is all."

"Want to talk about it?"

The offer was tempting. Annie knew she needed to talk to someone, but who? A therapist? Yeah, right. A stranger couldn't be told details. The agency has their own psychiatrists and therapists, and despite their insistence that everything was kept private, she refused to believe that.

Danielle couldn't be told details about her work, but she knew enough already. Why not? "Would you mind?"

"Of course not," Danielle said, taking her sister by the arm and leading her to the dining room table where Auggie's flowers stood. The buzz of the tv showed that Deborah was engaged, so they could talk candidly.

Annie began with the details, the truth this time, about what happened in that garage eight years ago. What was said on both sides, and how she felt afterwards. Then the job offer and moving to Israel, working with Eyal. She even gave details of how he'd noticed how distracted and sad she was, and began pretty much courting her.

When he was in DC, they'd flirted, but nothing could ever come of it. But now she was in his country, long-term. Annie told Danielle how she'd reveled in his attention and gotten to know him, but ultimately held back. Whether it was because of Auggie or not, she could never tell. Then Eyal had professed his love and said he'd wait for her forever, and Annie knew she was gone.

Danielle interrupted at this point, "I hate to ask this, but do you think maybe you only got involved with Eyal because -"

She never finished the sentence, but Annie could get the rest. Because she couldn't have Auggie. She nodded her answer. She'd loved Eyal, but not as much as she wanted to, not as much as he deserved. Deborah had brought them closer together, though, and Annie had ultimately let go of her past and settled into being a mother and wife.

"I was fine, really, until I sat in Joan's office Monday and Auggie walked in," Annie said. "Everything came back. The love, the pain, the longing, the anger. I knew we had to talk, away from work, and that's why I invited him over yesterday. He seemed almost as wary of me as I was of him. We talked. He told me about what was going on all that time ago. He had no idea I had feelings for him, though I think maybe he'd figured it out a little bit. It seems he never did come back from Africa for three years. I'm surprised Joan let him back in. But the thing is, no one told him where I'd gone. I was surprised to see him; he was surprised to see me."

"Annie, sweetie, all that's interesting, but what's going on, really? You say you're friends again, but you've got tears in your eyes."

Taking a self-conscious swipe with her hand across her face, Annie said, "It can never be like it was before. He knows how I felt back then. It's almost like he's afraid to talk to me."

"You need to forget about what Auggie's feeling or doing," Danielle said, taking Annie's hand in hers. "Be honest with yourself. How do you feel about him?"

Annie's eyes focused on their clasped hands. It's now or never, she thought. Danielle was never a gossip, and she had to tell someone soon before she blurted it out at an inopportune moment. "I still have feelings for him," she whispered. "At first, I thought it was just a ghost of the past."

"But?" Danielle prompted.

"You should see him, Danielle. I never thought he could look better, but he does. He's cut his hair. He's even bigger, more muscular. And he wears these suits at work. But beyond his looks, he appears more settled now, more mature, but I guess we all are. But Danielle, how can I even think about being with him when just hearing someone say Eyal's name makes me sad?"

Danielle nodded, "Okay. I think I've got enough information now. I'd love to talk to Auggie, too, but -"

Annie jerked up at her words.

"I won't, though. Anyway, number one, you will always feel sad about Eyal. It was a shock, and despite your doubts, you did love him. I know you did. And he gave you Deborah. No one can touch that or change that."

"But?" Annie prompted.

"I would say, seriously, go easy with Auggie. I'm sure you're not looking for a one-night stand, right? You want a relationship. Let things cool down, or warm up, whatever. You were friends first before. You've got to make sure that's still viable. Then, let him make the move. Show you're available and ready."

Annie chuckled, "That sounds so easy."

"It does, I know. The words are easy to say, but you've got to follow through with them. What do you think?"

Annie smiled wide, feeling more at ease than she has in months. She launched herself out of her chair and threw her arms around Danielle. "Thank you, sweetie."

* * *

**A/N Figured Annie deserved a little sister time and a second opinion on things. I think by now, the shock is over, A&A are there, in the same office, working, a tentative friendship building back up between them. But, come on, do you think it'd be that easy? Nothing ever is, that is, nothing that's worthwhile. Will Annie and Auggie be strong enough to fight for it this time?**

**Please review.**

**Shoutout to call2worship for the continued story ideas and list of kosher foods. I'm not Jewish, but like Deborah, I can take a tub of hummus and a bag of pita bread and be happy for a day. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Monday mornings shouldn't be this good, Auggie thought as he slid behind his desk and powered up his systems. Certainly, last Monday hadn't been. But then his world turned upside down and sideways with the arrival of Hannah Levin.

Hannah. Hannah. He'd have to remember to keep calling her that in the office. No need to confuse people or have them start asking questions. Only Joan, he and Stu knew of Annie Walker, and he intended on keeping it that way.

His system loaded up, and he delved into his e-mail, checking ones from Joan first. The woman, though a wife, mother and department head, was notorious for working when she wanted, where she wanted, and the odd e-mail over the weekend was the norm.

Just a few came through, and he quickly read through them, taking particular note of one with Hannah's name in the subject line. He chuckled. Even Joan was sticking to keeping up Annie's alias. He scanned through the e-mail quickly.

Huh, imagine that, he thought. Without wasting another second, he sent a summons over to Annie's office via the in-house messager. He really liked the system, as it allowed for more privacy among them all, and, due to his and Stu's unbreakable encryption processes, it was impregnable. Spies amongst spies, he thought. Its main function was to cut down on gossip, but it also allowed both he and Joan to communicate with operatives and support teams quicker and with more efficiency.

His computer dinged with Annie's reply. She'd be there in 15 minutes. Just enough time to go pick up a coffee, he thought.

* * *

Feeling slightly nervous regarding this early morning one-on-one meeting with Auggie, Annie checked the messager for more information, thinking maybe she missed something regarding the nature of the meeting or why he wanted to see her. Nope, nothing but a polite request to meet him in his office.

Which, due to her re-reading and worrying and thinking, was now down to two minutes. She smoothed her suit and hair and headed out to Auggie's office.

By her memory, it used to be a conference room, but now the windowed-walls were covered with blinds, and the swinging door replaced by a sliding door for his use. Seeing it was slightly open, she opened it further and said, "Hey, Auggie, am I early?"

"No, come in," he said, waving her in from behind his desk.

A desk, Annie noticed as she stepped in, that was eerily similar to the one he had in Tech Ops, but was larger and contained more equipment. Her eyes immediately looked around, and the décor took her breath away. His back was to the outside windows, and the morning sun filled the room, illuminating the glass and silver of his desk, a similar table with a few chairs around it and a black leather couch against a wall. Almost utilitarian in nature, but with a welcoming sense of simplicity. She immediately liked it.

* * *

He heard her heels tap against the hardwood floors for a few steps, then nothing. His highly tuned hearing caught a gasp and rustle of clothing. He smiled and leaned back in his chair. "So, how do you like my digs?"

"Nice view."

Auggie laughed aloud and quipped, "I'll have to take your word for it."

Heels clicked again, and he heard her sit down in the chair across from his desk. Her arrival brought another waft of her new scent, and he searched his memory for it again, wondering if he'd smelled it before or not. He came up empty and took another inhale, committing the perfume to memory and automatically adding it to Annie.

"So, what'd you need to talk to me about?"

Right, he thought, bringing himself back to the present, the reason for bringing her here. He straightened and resumed his stature of respectability and professionalism. It wasn't easy, given how he so wanted to slide into the Annie and Auggie he remembered.

"I received an e-mail from Joan this morning," he said. "I think you're going to like this. She wants to use your talents on some missions."

"What? I can't go out in the field again – not with Deborah. She's already lost one parent –"

"Annie," Auggie hastily interrupted, holding a hand up. "That's not what I meant. Of course, we wouldn't put you in danger like that again."

"Oh, okay."

"What we want," Auggie said as he stood and came around to the front of his desk in front of her, "is your expertise, your opinions, what you know. What do you think?"

"I guess that'd be okay. But why would you have to ask so formally? Isn't my job to do whatever's asked of me?"

Her question was warranted, and he inclined his head to the side. "Maybe eight years ago, when you were an operative and given missions while on vacation," he said with a smirk, hoping to calm her obvious nerves.

"Please don't tell me you're still doing that," Annie said.

"When it's warranted," he replied. "Once I had to call an operative in off of his honeymoon, but that's not something you have to worry about. We'd like for you, in addition to submitting your translations and while you're monitoring live channels, to include a report of anything that jumps out at you as – hinky."

"Hinky?"

"Out of the ordinary. Joan trusts your instinct and intuition, especially with respect to the Middle East. Not as many people have lived and worked so long in that area than you have. We'd really appreciate your input."

* * *

As he spoke, Annie noted his use of "we" and "us" and had a flashback to the Auggie who'd accepted an overt position as the face of the CIA. Back then, he'd given up his casual look for a sharp suit and tie, his status as her handler for a desk on the seventh floor. It'd only lasted for a few days, and she'd rejoiced when he returned. Now he was years into such a position, and he seemed comfortable with it. She wondered how much more had changed.

"Sounds like a challenge," she replied. "But you're right, I doubt anyone else would understand as much as I do. Should I start today?"

His answering smile was immediate and reminiscent of the Auggie she knew. "Absolutely. I'll inform Joan."

He then moved back around to his chair and began typing on his Braille reader keyboard. A sense of disappointment washed over her, though. Was their meeting over? Did he really intend to treat her with such nonchalance in-house?

"Is that all?" she asked, rising to leave.

"No, no, hold on," Auggie said quickly, and Annie halted in her steps, standing almost awkwardly in the middle of his office. He typed for about another 30 seconds, and then turned back to her. "Just had to reply to Joan. I told her I'd be talking to you this morning, and she doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"So that much hasn't changed," Annie said.

"Nope, not at all," Auggie said with a shake of his head. He stood again and resumed the lean against the front of his desk. "Sometimes I think she enjoys having an assistant so that she doesn't have to talk to people."

The disappointment dissipated at the casual resumption of his demeanor. "Never thought I'd see the day," she said, walking back over to his desk and leaning against it beside him. The pose was reminiscent of their last conversation 8 years ago, and she wondered if he realized it, as well. "Captain August Anderson, former Special Ops badass soldier reduced to being a secretary."

Auggie made a sound of mock hurt and placed a hand over his heart. "Annie, you wound me."

"You deserved it," she said.

"I know. And I'm sorry. But neither of us can go back and change what was said, what wasn't said."

Annie nodded and made a promise to herself that she wouldn't throw it up in his face again. It really wasn't fair and impeded any efforts at reconcilation. Her thoughts were cut short when she felt his hand cover her own between them.

"Annie? Things are okay between us, right? I assumed Saturday cleared the air."

* * *

Her silence began to worry him, and he wondered if he'd again crossed some sort of line. Her hand under his had frozen, and with a sudden flash, he remembered a similar situation during their final conversation, and how he'd reeled back from the contact.

Was she remembering the same thing? Was that why she didn't respond or move? He'd been thinking about her and them ever since their talk Saturday and the revelation that she'd been wanting to express her feelings to him at the time, and he ran. He refused to make that same mistake again.

"I know it did for me," he continued. "And I need you to know that your trust in me, in our friendship, in – well, us, won't be broken again."

A shaky inhale beside him showed that he'd gotten through to her, and with bated breath, he waited for her to respond.

It didn't take long, and her hand turned around in his until their palms connected. The small movement shook him to the core, and he promised himself never to betray what she was giving him right then and there.

"We're good," Annie said.

"'Good'," Auggie reiterated. "Is that, 'you'll go out on a date with me' good, or 'you'll stop making cracks about me being Joan's secretary' good?"

* * *

Annie laughed at his joke while simultaneously thrilling at his joking proposition. Ever since talking things over with Danielle yesterday, she'd decided that anything that may happen with Auggie would be a godsend, and she wouldn't take it for granted. But, there was also a part of her that missed the last man who'd held her hand like this, and time would be the only thing that'd mend that part of her before she could risk someone else taking up residence.

She'd fallen asleep last night with those thoughts, but as Auggie's interlaced fingertips pressed into the back of her hand, she could feel that heartache ease just a bit. Was it possible to have both, for one to help the other?

She returned his squeeze with one of her own before replying, "I promise to stop making jokes about your being Joan's secre – assistant."

"And the other part?"

He said it nonchalantly, without insistence, as if asking her to open the door, Annie almost agreed on the spot. Almost. "Rain check?"

"I can live with that."

"So, should I get back to my now-doubled workload?" she asked, giving his hand a warm squeeze before letting go.

"Yes," he said. "You'll do great, Annie. You were always the smartest of us all."

"No need to feed my ego," she replied as she slid open his door. "But thanks."

* * *

**A/N Sometimes you have more time to write, and sometimes you're so busy and tired and sore from work/family/chores that your mind says, "seriously? you want me to make up stuff now?" LOL Had to do some writing today just to keep the story alive and my muse happy.**

**Annie and Auggie are sliding now towards...something more. I have the rest of it outlined out, so, time permitting, we should see more chapters quicker.**

**Thanks for hanging in there with me. Everyone's response and love is overwhelming and heartwarming. Much love!**

**Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

Feeling a bit lighter in her step than she did when she arrived at work that morning, Annie returned to her office, excited to slide further into information processing than just strictly translations. Some days, she missed the field work, but with Deborah now in her life, she'd had to say good-bye to that life forever. Giving her opinions and applying her expertise was a step further to making the most of her abilities.

She'd only been there a few minutes before a knock on her door had her turning in her chair. A redheaded woman stood there, Jane Oliver, she remembered. They'd shook hands and said hellos last week, but hadn't talked since then.

"Hi, Jane. What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Morning, Hannah," Jane replied, stepping in and closing the door. "Sorry for interrupting, but I just wanted to ask if you were okay."

Before Annie could ask, the young woman continued speaking.

"I saw you going into Mr. Anderson's office earlier. Hope everything's all right. You're not in trouble, are you?"

"Oh, no," Annie said with a smile. "Just going over my work duties."

"Oh, that's a relief. He usually doesn't bring anyone into his office unless they're in trouble. I've heard stories about some people being brought to tears after a dressing down by him."

Annie kept her face unknowing and gave a look of shock at Jane's words. After all, nobody besides the few people still here, no one knew of her former life, and she'd much rather keep it that way. "He is a formidable figure," Annie conceded. "Between him and Director Campbell, they keep this department on its toes, then?"

"You got it. I've been here a few years now, and thankfully haven't been on the receiving end of any of their talking-tos. But I have to tell you, meeting Mr. Anderson was something of a letdown."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, all they talked about at the Farm was the great Auggie Anderson, and if we had the fortune to be assigned to the DPD, we could look forward to having a drink and a night out with him."

Annie hid her shock behind a pair of raised eyebrows and a look of incredulity. They still talked about Auggie's love life of a decade ago? She hadn't thought to ask him if he was currently seeing someone, or if he had any serious relationships in the past five years he's been here, but he wouldn't have jokingly asked her out not 10 minutes ago if he was seeing someone, would he?

"But believe me, was I disappointed when I got here," Jane continued. "Mr. Anderson did not have the reputation they all said he did. I'm an expert at reading people, and he almost seemed cold."

The friend part of Annie really didn't want to listen to all of this gossip, but the operative in her processed all the information she was being given. Back then, she'd internally bristled at Auggie's bed-hopping. It's why she'd held back on him for so long. She liked him too much to become another notch on his bedpost.

"Well, I've only talked to him a couple of times, so I don't really know what I can tell you," she evaded. "But I've seen plenty of other handsome and really nice guys out there in the bullpen, so –"

Jane laughed and waved off her question, "Don't worry, I'm not obsessed or stalking. Just intrigued. Actually, I am dating someone. When he's in-country, of course. I'll introduce you when he comes back. I think he'll like you."

"Thanks."

As Jane left, Annie sat back in her chair, relieved at the woman's last statement. The last thing she wanted to do was get in a confrontation over Auggie. Not now. Though they had a couple of years of history together, too much time had passed. They really needed to reconnect as friends first, and then – well, Annie thought, who knows what could happen?

But that was something they'd have time for later. Work first, love life second. And Joan's direct request to have her do this meant a lot to her. She'd tried to do the same thing while working in Israel, but her reports were looked over and tossed away. Apparently, a translator, an American female one at that, didn't have much clout with the Mossad.

* * *

Never one for listening to gossip or entering into it, as Assisant Director, Auggie now had to pay attention to it. Not that he wanted to, but it was the only way to stop the ugly stuff before it got out of hand. Besides, most people, he found, assumed he was deaf as well as blind and didn't bother hushing their voices when he walked by.

Which brought him to the situation he was in now. Washing his hands after lunch in the men's room, two younger operatives whose voices he recognized and were a year or two off the Farm, came in and lined up at the urinals.

Whether they knew he was there or not – the layout of the place had the urinals at one end and the sink at another, furthest away from the door – Auggie didn't care. As soon as he heard Hannah Levin's name, he automatically cocked his head to the side and listened.

"Hey, have you found out about that new girl yet?"

"Yeah, yeah. Followed her back from Starbucks. She's in one of those side offices off the bullpen. Nameplate says Hannah Levin."

"That's it? I could've done that myself, bro."

"I'm not done yet. I knocked on the door and introduced myself, you know, just testing out the waters."

"And?"

"She's as gorgeous close-up as she is across the room, man. Big smile, long hair halfway down her back, big brown eyes, curvy body. Damn."

"Did she say she was married? That's what I heard."

"No ring I saw."

"So, did you ask her out, or do I still have a chance?"

"Course I did, dude. What, you think I'm stupid or something? She thanked me for the offer, but declined at this time."

"What? What kind of an answer is that?"

Auggie decided to make his presence known, his anger just at the boiling point. "The only answer either one of you are going to get."

"Mr. – Mr. Anderson," he heard them both stutter out. The hasty sound of zippers being pulled up accompanied it.

"What have I told you two – on numerous occasiosn – about harassing my employees?" he asked, stalking up to them slowly.

"Harassing? I was only meeting a new co-worker, being friendly."

"That's not what I just heard. The sides work just fine, gentlemen. This is your final warning. Keep your trolling out of this building, or you'll find yourself in a remote regional office in Siberia."

Auggie didn't bother waiting to hear their protestations before he left, the door swinging shut loudly behind him. His first instinct was to go to Annie and apologize for the men's behavior, but by what he heard, she handled herself fine. No need to go all "soldier boy" on her, as she used to call it. Protectiveness was one thing, but he didn't want to appear overbearing or jealous. She'd only been here a week and deserved some down time, some normalcy.

And given their first step forward this morning, he was determined to provide that to her. Her and Deborah, a little girl who so reminded me of Annie, it nearly brought him to tears Saturday when she'd hugged him and told him everything was going to be okay.

By the time he made it to Joan's office, his anger from the confrontation in the men's room had subsided, and he knocked on Joan's door.

"Come in, Auggie."

"Not interrupting anything, am I?" he said, walking in and taking up his normal seat in the spare chair.

"No. Hope you don't mind if I type while you talk?"

"Of course not," he said. Joan was such a multitasker, he knew, she could carry on conversations with three different people without missing a beat. "Our interoffice relationship directive needs reworded and redistributed," he said, not bothering to waste time with chitchat.

Joan chuckled and said, "Who is it this time?"

"Trevor Tybuck and Cecil Smith," Auggie said, spitting out the men's names. "They've both been here long enough to know interoffice dating is permitted, but it must stay out of the office."

"Ahh, very well. Do you mind doing that? I'm kind of in the middle of something here."

"No problem."

"Before you go, you said Annie agreed to my proposal this morning."

"Yes, she did."

"And?"

Auggie's mouth twisted up in a knowing smile. "And what, director?" he asked, knowing exactly what she was asking, but wanting her to say it, all the same.

"Don't toy with me, assistant director," Joan threw back. "How is she doing? Or, more to the point, how are the two of you doing?"

Auggie knew that's what she was referring to, but he couldn't help messing with her every once in a while. "We're doing fine, actually. I umm –" He wondered if he should reveal their "lunch date" this past Saturday, then he decided to go ahead and get it all out in the open. "She invited me over last Saturday to meet Deborah. We talked then, and even more this morning. We've – no, I've apologized to her about what happened all those years ago. Had I known how she felt back then, maybe –"

"Auggie, don't. There's no need for all these what ifs."

"I know. Still doesn't make the guilt feel any worse."

"I haven't met Deborah yet. What's she like?"

Knowing a strategic change of topic when he heard one, Auggie was glad to pick up on it. "Like a 5-year-old Annie," he said. "Full of energy, inquisitive, smart, and sweet."

"Sounds like you two hit it off, then. I've got to talk to Arthur about having the two of them over to meet William."

"It's a little soon for matchmaking, don't you think?"

"Very funny. Anything else?"

"Nope, that's about it," Auggie said, rising to leave. "I'll have the new directive typed up and ready for distribution in an hour."

* * *

Having settled down the curiosity over "Hannah Levin's" appearance in the department quelled with his tersely worded e-mail, Auggie saw the next couple of weeks become easier, for both of them. She completed her work efficiently, and both he and Joan were impressed with her insight. Not only did Annie have full and complete knowledge of the workings of Israel and its surrounding countries and governments, she obviously kept current on other regimes.

He wanted to talk to Joan maybe sometime soon about expanding her position even further. Beyond his personal regard for her, Auggie wasn't so besotted to realize that Annie Walker's mind was a huge asset to the department, and he wanted to keep it there.

During meetings with Joan, he'd found that, Annie had, indeed, taken Deborah to meet Arthur and William. He'd wondered over the past couple of weeks whether he should return the favor and invite her and Deborah over for a lunch or walk in the park, but he wanted to let the next move be hers.

Then one morning, a full month into Annie's return, he knew it'd come. It'd been a hectic morning, and he was suffering from severe caffeine withdrawal 'cause he had yet to make it to Starbucks. Then his door slid open, and accompanied by Annie's perfume and heels, she walked up to his desk.

"Saw you hadn't made it down the hall yet, so I got one for you, as well, at your 10 o'clock."

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**A/N Glad everyone's enjoying this.**

**Please review. Love hearing from everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N You're gonna like this. :)**

* * *

Annie watched with unabashed love as Deborah ran through the park's grass, sandals swinging from her fingers. She had half a mind to slide her own shoes off and join her, but the little girl seemed so happy, she didn't want to interrupt. She couldn't wait until the leaves started turning and snow started flying. The mediterranean had its own wondrous beauty, but snow and a change of season every few months? Deborah had a huge shock coming to her soon.

And then, of course, in the spring when the cherry blossoms came into bloom. Annie sighed at the memory. It's one of the things she missed the most. Though DC and her work was full of terrorists and stress and secrets, Annie also loved the beauty of the area. The buildings and museums and well-landscaped parks like this one. She'd found it soon after moving to the neighborhood and brought Deborah out like this whenever she could. Especially now since she was at the office five days a week.

The agency, where she had her own office, a window, a couple of friendly officemates, and most of all –

"Mr. Auggie!"

The over-the-top squeal from her daughter pulled Annie out of her reverie, and she looked up to see her daughter running as fast as her little legs could take her across the grass to, yep, Auggie, who was walking along the paved path not too far away, cane out in front of him.

His head had swung in the direction of her voice, and Annie had a fearful image of Deborah bowling him over. "Deborah, wait!"

The little girl came up just within a few feet of the man, and Annie took a deep breath of relief as she stood from the bench she sat on and walked over to both of them. Auggie had obviously recognized Deborah's shout, 'cause he was bending down to her, a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Dvorah."

Deborah looked back at Annie with pleading eyes, and Annie nodded her consent.

That's all she needed, as she walked the few feet into his open arms. "Mr. Auggie, I missed you!"

"Missed you, too," Auggie replied. As she released him, he stood, and looked Annie's way. "Annie?"

"Morning, Auggie." She almost wished she had the innocence of childhood to garner a hug from him, as well. This past month, she found herself thinking more and more of him. She'd assumed her need to wait and mourn Eyal would take longer, but Auggie's presence and patience seemed to work as a balm on her heart.

"What are my two favorite girls doing out here on a lovely late summer morning?" he asked.

"Walking barefoot in the grass!" Deborah said with a giggle. "Have you ever tried it, Mr. Auggie?"

"Yes, I have. It's fun, isn't it?"

"So much fun! Come on!" she said, taking him by the hand and leading him off the path.

Annie was going to stop her with directions on how to properly walk with Auggie, but stopped herself. The girl wasn't even tall enough for Auggie to reach her elbow standing upright, she reminded herself with a laugh.

"Hey, Deborah, why don't you enjoy the grass for a bit by yourself while I talk to your ema?" Auggie asked.

"Okay."

Annie came up to them and brushed her hand against his, causing his grip to follow up to her elbow. The movement was simple. They'd done it hundreds of times, but this was the first time in years she'd felt it. "We can sit on a bench over here," she said. "It's where I was before."

"Thanks."

They sat in comfortable silence just a couple inches from each other for a few minutes before she spoke. "So, this place is pretty far away from your apartment. What are you doing here?"

"No, it's not."

"Auggie, I remember where you live –"

"Oh, right. You wouldn't know. I had the give up the old apartment while I was away, and I got a new one."

"Oh, yeah, I didn't think about that," Annie said. "Guess we've got a lot to talk about."

"Whenever you want, Annie."

See, Annie thought. Another little crack sealed. "I've got a house a few blocks from here," she said.

"Wow, a house all your own? Very nice."

"I thought Deborah deserved a little normalcy and permanency in her life."

"And what about her ema? Is she looking to settle down, as well?"

Annie took a deep, audible breath at the implications and images that flashed in her mind. The past, a possible future. As good and at peace that Auggie always made her feel in his presence, sometimes he said just the right thing. "I thought I was settled down five years ago," she said honestly. "Then life intervened."

"Life has a way of doing that."

"I don't regret it. Even – even though it was only five years instead of a lifetime, I never wished it didn't happen."

"No one's asking you to."

"I know," Annie said, looking over at him. She saw the extra lines around his eyes, the few gray strands among the brown. They'd both grown older, matured, led lives away and apart from each other. Now, here they were, sitting on a park bench on a warm late summer morning. If Annie still believed in fate or karma or anything like that, she'd believe that this meeting was preordained or something. But Annie had enough heartbreak in her life. She needed something steady now, more permanent, more –

"Annie, please don't beat yourself up over this."

"I'm not! It's just – I want more time, but it's almost like, the more time passes, the more I feel –" Annie huffed, realizing she was babbling and not much making sense to herself. She concentrated instead on watching Deborah attempt a cartwheel.

"Annie, I can't imagine what you're feeling or what you've gone through all these years. I'd love to be able to go back and change a lot of things, but we can't go back."

"Wouldn't it be nice to, though?" Annie asked with a chuckle. "I would've spoken up sooner."

"Then you wouldn't have Deborah."

"I know. I love her."

"She's a mini-Annie, you know that, right?"

Annie laughed, "Oh, don't I know it. I can't imagine how my mother put up with me."

"How many languages does she speak?"

"English and Hebrew pretty well, though she sometimes mixes the two," Annie said. "Rebecca – she's our nanny – is getting quite the education."

"You have a nanny?"

"Umm, yeah." Annie wasn't sure how much Auggie wanted or needed to hear about her life now, but since they seemed to be moving forward so well now, she decided to just get it all out there. Like a Band-Aid, right? Do it quick, and any hurt is over and done with. "Eyal had no family other than us, so everything he had we received. Plus, he had a substantial life insurance policy. So, when we came back to the States, I put it towards a house and setting up a life for Deborah."

Yes, Annie thought, her little girl won't have anything to worry about for the rest of her life. Money had been put aside for education, her upkeep, everything. As for herself, she got the home she'd always longed for, but her adventurous spirit never allowed.

Deborah now had stopped turning cartwheels and, it seemed, was intent on finding every small little flower in the grass. Her chubby little fist held a few clovers and one dandelion. Annie was used to being on the receiving end of such presents, and she hoped the little flowers stayed alive long enough to make it back to the house where she could put them in a vase.

Feeling a bit worn and raw, Annie asked, "What about you? So far, I've been doing all the talking."

"I didn't want to be too presumptuous –"

Annie coughed out a scoff, and Auggie rolled his eyes at her.

"No, really. I didn't want to just try to pick up where we left off, but since we're here, and you asked, I will."

He settled back on the bench and laid his cane across his lap and his arm stretched out behind Annie's back, not actually touching her, but close enough. "When I came back, I reached out to Joan, who gave me a formal dressing down before extending an olive branch. Stu had worked up to my old position, and the reunion with him wasn't all that happy, either, but once I paid for a few nights of drinks, he warmed back up to me."

"Is he the only one left of the old crowd?"

"Just about. There's a few support people around, but the operatives have all moved out and around. Joan offered the assistant director position because, as she said, she needed someone who knew what we did and how to do it."

"She couldn't have picked a better person for the job," Annie said truthfully.

"Thanks. That means a lot," Auggie said, his hand sliding down to cup her shoulder in a slight hug. But he didn't remove it, and Annie wasn't about to shrug out of the mini-embrace.

"You've got a new apartment?" she prompted.

"Yep. It's awesome. Larger than my old place. Loft-style, so don't have to worry about walking into walls. Except the bathroom, of course."

"Sounds perfect."

"You two should come by, you know, since I've already been to your place. My kitchen's got all the toys you'd ever want. I can even barbecue on my stove."

"We'd love to come over," Annie said without hesitation. "You know, whenever it's convenient, or you don't have guests over."

* * *

At first, Auggie wondered what she was referring to, then he caught on. His past. The first time she'd been in his old apartment, he'd been with Liza the night before, and he knew he hadn't made the bed or cleaned up. Did she still think he lived that way?

"Guests are few and far between," he admitted. "Things have changed, you should know, with me."

"I know. I've heard."

"What?"

He felt her shoulders shake a bit under his palm. "You and Joan may have attempted to cut down on the gossip, but people still talk."

"Ahh. I'm not going to ask, but –"

"And I'm not going to tell."

Her shoulders still shook, and he began to chuckle at her restraint. Then she giggled, and soon, they were both laughing.

"So glad to see my love life has so intrigued my staff," he said once they got their breath back.

"You may have to have a word with the instructors at the Farm, as well," she said.

"Nah, why not let them dream?"

"You're impossible."

"I know," Auggie said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. It felt so right and normal at that moment for him, he felt his heart ache a little bit, wishing it could be real and every day. The fact that she was sitting here with him and talking and not pushing him away was a big step for her, he knew. One point, however, still needed covered.

"I'm not seeing anyone right now, Annie. I haven't for a while now."

"Okay."

"And no pressure, but whenever you want, if you still want, I'd like to give us a chance."

"Okay."

The one-word answers, even in the wonderful affirmative nature they were in, made him wonder. Was he pushing too hard? Not enough? Did she need more time? He'd heard that six months to a year was the normal grieving time process after a loved one has died. Maybe he was moving too fast, but he'd waited before, and look where it got him.

The soft padding of feet in grass told him Deborah was returning to them, so any further inroads would have to wait.

"Aww, sweetie, are those flowers for me?" Annie asked.

"Nope. I picked them for Mr. Auggie."

Little fingers touched his hand, and he held it out to accept the handful of wildflowers. "Thank you, Deborah. They're beautiful."

"How can you tell?"

"Deborah!" Annie admonished.

Auggie, however, wasn't embarrassed at all. "They're beautiful because they came from you."

She hugged his legs and began climbing on the bench. Between them. Auggie became aware that his arm was still wrapped around Annie's shoulders, and he thought of removing it, but doing so would be as awkward as leaving it there.

"Deborah, Auggie's asked if we would like to see his apartment. Would you like that?"

"Yeah! Can we go now? I'm tired of playing in the grass. Do you have a TV? Oh, I guess not, huh?"

Auggie had to fight hard against smiling at the girl's observations. So many others walked around him on tiptoe, and Deborah's freshness and unabashed curiosity was refreshing.

"Yes, I have a TV. I listen to it a lot."

"Oh, goody! Let me get my sandals on first!"

She scooted back off of the bench, and Annie whispered, "You don't have to have us over now."

"What, and say no to her?" he whispered back with a smile. "Besides, I'll cook, and we can have our second date."

"With Deborah as chaperone?"

"You'd have it any other way?" he asked, flexing his arm a bit to draw her closer in a hug. She came further, though, and he felt the brush of her lips against his cheek. So startling, so reminiscent, it took his breath away for a few seconds.

Then she stood up, and Deborah was pulling on his arm. "Come on, Mr. Auggie!"

He stood and with a brush of Annie's hand against his, he wrapped his hand around her arm. His other held his cane, and they were off.

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**A/N Well, what do you think? Thanks out to call2worship, whose story this is, as you know, but who keeps sending messages with ideas and observations. Love ya, honey!**

**Question: Story is Annie/Auggie POVs, but I'm dying to give a little Deborah POV. What do you think?**

**Please Review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A little mini-chapter for you, Deborah POV. Next chapter, back to the action. Thanks for the love!**

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Deborah squeezed her Ema tight around the neck before letting go and falling back into her bed with a giggle. Her blanket was pulled up to her chest and a light kiss placed on her forehead.

"Good night, sweet Dvorah."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

As her bedside lamp was turned out, and the room faded into the soft pink glow of the nightlight, Deborah smiled at her Ema as she left and turned in her bed, pulling Leah across the mattress and closer to her. She adjusted her tiechel, a beautifully designed scarf around the doll's head, and tucked it beside her.

"Leah, you won't believe who I saw again! Mr. Auggie! Though he made me promise to just call him Auggie, 'cause he wants us to be friends.

I really like having him as a friend. He's nice to me and knows Hebrew words! Can you believe that? Besides my Ema, nobody else understands me sometimes, and that makes me mad. At school, they just think I'm funny and making up the words. Ema and Auggie know I'm not, so that's okay.

She was smiling a lot today, and that made me happy. She cried so much when my Abba went away. I was sad, too, but didn't want Ema to get sadder, so I tried my hardest not to cry. I slept with her every night and gave her as many hugs as I could.

My hugs must have worked, because she stopped crying. I miss home sometimes, and that makes me sad, but Ema said if we moved here, we could see my aunt and cousins. They're all big girls, but they played dolls and games with me. I really liked them.

Nanny Becca is really nice, too. She knows how to make all the food we ate back home and lets me help sometimes.

We saw Auggie in the park this morning. I been trying real hard to do a twirl in the air like I saw on TV, but I don't think my legs are long enough. Maybe when I get older, like 7, I can do it. But Auggie was there! And he called me Dvorah. Nobody else does, not even Ema anymore. I like it.

We went over to his house, and it's big! Ema said it's so he can walk around better. I tried doing it myself, but it's really hard to walk with your eyes closed. He showed me his tv, and even gave me the remote! It was bigger than ours, and had little bumps all over it, and they tickled!

I watched cartoons, but I also watched Ema and Auggie. She smiles a lot around him. That makes me happy. She smiled like that with Abba, I remember. I hope Auggie won't go away, too. I want Ema happy so I don't have to worry about her.

Now, Leah, be a good girl and go to sleep, okay?"

* * *

Through the crack in the door, Annie listened to her daughter's conversation with her doll, a present from Eyal for her fourth birthday. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but hearing Auggie's name made her pause on her way out.

A sob nearly choked her at her final few words. She was supposed to be the one worrying about her daughter, not the other way around. Resisting an urge to go back in and give her another hug, Annie shut the door quietly and headed back through the house to tidy up.

The day's events were, indeed, as fun and happy as Deborah had told Leah. As the past month had progressed, she found less and less reason not to keep pushing Auggie away. And today pretty much cemented the fact that she wanted to be with him.

He expressed no qualms with taking it as slow as she wanted, though Annie knew the brushes against her, the light hugs, and even the peck of a kiss she received when they left was him testing the waters. Well, it was their second "date," she thought. Maybe sometime in the future they'd get around to proper dating etiquette, but Annie would take sitting on a park bench with him while Deborah did cartwheels in the grass over dinner at a five-star restaurant any day.

**Please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

The leaves outside were turning a golden and red hue, but Annie's eyes were closed as she concentrated on what she was hearing. She'd been listening to hours of chatter – phone calls, mostly - and she'd almost glossed over what she was listening to now.

A phone call between two men. In some sort of code, obviously, because the context made no sense, in Hebrew nor translated English. Strictly translating conversations like this sometimes put her in a word coma, but with analyzing, she'd been able to use her operative sixth sense. And it was kicking in now, a niggle at the back of her neck

She made herself listen to it three more times, but the quality of the audio was good. There was no mistaking what she was hearing.

Hummingbird.

By itself, an innocuous word, and had she heard it in any other language or the chatter come from any other country, she'd let it go. But in the context of terrorism and Mossad, it sent shivers down her spine. She'd heard it only once before, in the week after Eyal was shot and killed on a mission. She went into full-on operative mode then, her grief pushing her to talk to everyone she knew at that agency. She got nowhere, but for the name Operation Hummingbird.

She'd asked what that meant, but the man she was talking to clammed up and refused to talk any further. She'd have followed up with it, but her true grief settled in, and she'd had to concentrate on getting her husband buried and what to do with herself and Deborah.

She hadn't thought of it since. Until now. Her heart rate increased, and she felt again a prickle at the back of her neck. One that told her something was off. Or, as Auggie had told her, hinky.

She went back to the beginning of the audio file and listened intently, determined to grab any name, any tone, inflection, dialect that she could.

When she was done, she sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. The rush of adrenaline was almost foreign to her, but welcome, just the same. She remembered it, reveled in it and then smiled to herself.

She'd never get Eyal back, never know exactly what happened all those months ago, but if what she heard was true, she'd be able to do something right now, perhaps some another man who perhaps had a family waiting for him back home.

With a sense of urgency, she put together her report, detailing the name she'd heard and where she'd heard it before. Just a couple of months ago, just seeing Eyal's name and thinking of his death would've caused her to start crying, but the pain had eased since then.

She knew the cause of it, as well. Just as Deborah had pulled her out of her initial grief, Auggie's friendship and attention seemed to be soothing her cracked heart and filling it at the same time. They never had gone out on a "formal" date, yet the weekends always found them at each other's places, Deborah in tow. The little girl reveled in Auggie's attentions, and Annie loved seeing the her so happy again.

Once saved, printed out and backed up, Annie put the entire thing in a confidential folder and stood to deliver it up to Joan and Auggie. They could just read it on their computers, but after sitting for the majority of the day, Annie preferred getting some exercise.

Besides, she couldn't bear sitting and waiting for them to get back to her. Auggie was with Joan in her office, so she handed Joan's file to her while giving the Braille edition to Auggie.

"Thank you, Annie," Joan said. "As timely as ever."

"You're welcome. If you have nothing pressing right now, could you scan over it? Something important came through that needs immediate attention."

As she'd never asked such a thing before, Joan's eyebrow rose half an inch, but she opened the folder and began reading, as did Auggie. Annie stood by, trying to keep still though the adrenaline was still pumping.

Not a minute later, Joan had scanned through the initial report and looked up. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"And how do you think we're going to prove this?" she asked. Before Annie could reply, Joan continued, "What you're saying here is that there is a group that have unofficially put bounties on Mossad officers, and once an officer is targeted, Operation Hummingbird comes into play."

"Yes."

Joan closed the folder with a nod and clasped her hands over it on her desk. Annie tried not looking at Auggie. She had a feeling she knew what Joan was going to say, and she needed to stay strong and in control.

"Annie, I'm only asking this because once this leaves my desk, others will ask it, as well, and I'll need an answer. Your reasoning behind your analysis is that you heard the same operation name in regards to the death of Eyal Levin."

"Yes."

She heard Auggie shift in his chair, but she kept her eyes on Joan.

"Annie, please, please do not tell me you are asking us to investigate Eyal's death."

"No, of course I'm not!" Annie huffed before catching her anger. "No, I'm not. This intel is real, Joan. I worked on it for two hours before bringing it up here."

She still didn't seem convinced, and Annie felt her adrenaline begin to wane and frustratio set in. "Please, Joan."

"Let me think about it, run it by a couple of people first. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"But –" Annie started to protest, but she felt Auggie's hand on her elbow, and she looked up to him to see he was shaking his head and nodding towards the door.

Instead of just leading her out of the office, Auggie's grip never ceased, and they walked across the hall into his office. He let go once his door had slid shut, and he stepped back a foot or two.

"Go ahead, the walls are thick," he said.

"Go ahead with what?" she asked.

"Scream, yell. I could feel the tension radiating off of you."

"I'm not going to scream, Auggie. I'm not happy, but she did say she'd look it over."

He was heading over to the couch, so she followed him, sinking down into the leather softness. They sat on opposite ends, and had they'd been at his place or hers, she might've slid over and grasped his hand for strength and assurance. But they both agreed to keep what they had out of the office, if only because of the mandate currently in place. If no one else could cuddle and kiss in the building, they couldn't, either.

So Annie settled for talking. "Do you agree with her?"

"Yes. And no."

Annie's scoff was audible, as she meant for it to be.

"Annie, I'd love for us to just sneak out of here and do our own investigating, but I can't. I'm the Assistant Director, and there's protocols in place for these things."

Annie scoffed again, shaking her head. "Protocols. In the meantime, a man's life is in danger, and we're squabbling."

"Protocol saves lives," he corrected. "And I didn't say I didn't believe you."

"So you think what I've heard has merit?" Annie asked.

"It's a hell of a coincidence, if it doesn't."

"Thank you."

"I'm not agreeing with you just 'cause we're up to our fifth lunch date," he said with a smirk. "Your instincts have never failed you in the past. I don't see why they should start now."

"Even if my 'emotions' may be governing my analysis?" she asked.

Auggie didn't answer right away, and Annie began to grow worried. Did he really think that? Should she expect all this resistance every time the Mossad came up in her work? Did they all think she couldn't put aside her personal feelings when it came to her work?

"Annie, you want to know why Joan and I think you're one of the best? Because you do allow your emotions to influence your work. Sometimes this job is so cut and dry, so horrific that we shut down our feelings. But you don't. You never have."

Department mandates be damned, Annie slid over until she could reach his hand, and she slid her fingers through his. "Thank you, Auggie."

"You do know this is against the rules, don't you?" he asked with a smile, lifting their entwined hands off the couch.

"Only in-house."

"We are in-house."

"So, let's get out of here."

"Annie, are you –"

"I need a drink. You're gonna buy."

"I normally don't," Auggie said. "I mean, I haven't hit up a happy hour in years."

"Neither have I, but don't you agree that we did our best thinking at Allen's?" Annie asked. "Don't answer. That was rhetorical. I'll call Rebecca and have her take Deborah over to Danielle's house for dinner. She'll love that."

Auggie smiled, and something of a laugh came through his lips. "You are asking me out."

Annie rolled her eyes and stood, her hand sliding apart from Auggie's. "It's just a drink and some conversation, assistant director. Unless, of course, there's a mandate against fraternizing with your boss?"

Auggie shook his head no, and he stood. "Should we take separate cars, you know, just in case somebody sees?"

Annie laughed at the playful conversation, some of the frustration she'd been feeling easing. "There's no rule against doing anything outside of the building, remember? I'll pick you up at the entrance, okay?"

* * *

**A/N Ahh, now the action's heating up. :)**

**Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

How far back into memory does déjà vu go, Annie thought as they sat in the same seats, at the same table as they did a decade ago. "God, this feels weird," she said.

Auggie nodded as he gripped his mug with both hands. "I was gonna say the same thing."

"One thing's missing, though," Annie said.

"Mm, What's that?" he asked.

Annie grinned as a wave of teasing came over her. "The chorus of 'Hey, Auggie,' I usually heard anytime we came in."

Annie's grin turned into a laugh as a telltale blush lit his cheeks.

"Annie," he said with a shake of his head.

She refused to let it go, though, as it's been bugging her for a while now. Plus, what Jane told her about Auggie's change of heart regarding the local coeds made her think.

"It's not fair. You know all about me, what's happened to me in the past eight years. Don't you think it's fair that you reciprocate?" she asked.

"Sure, why not?" Auggie agreed, though he really didn't want to. It's not that he didn't feel the compunction to be completely honest with her, but that It was embarrasssing. He wasn't proud of how he conducted himself in the past, not now. It's not that he was regretful, but as he looked back on it now with new eyes, new heart, he couldn't see himself doing it again.

"Auggie?" she prompted.

"I know, I know, and you're right. You deserve to know. I left eight years ago because I thought my future was with Parker," he said. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"No, I'm good. Don't hold back, please."

Auggie continued talking, hoping Annie didn't, in fact, hold what he was about to say against him. "I thought I loved her. We had so much fun together, and I thought I'd found my Natasha again. Instead of the FBI taking her away from me, she took herself away. I'd wanted to accept her decision, that we had a good time, but we've got different lives. But a few days later, I don't know. My mind couldn't accept that. I had to try. Just once more. So I did. I left."

"And stayed away for three years," Annie pointed out.

"That wasn't the plan, believe me," he pointed out. "I'd put in for two weeks, but Parker wanted me there, and we decided to make a go of it."

"Why not tell anyone, though?"

"I told Joan, but couldn't bring myself to tell anyone else," he said, knowing his reasons sounded petty now. "I didn't have the words, if you can believe that. So I delayed and delayed and, forgive me, but for a while there, I made myself forget I had another life."

Though at first, Annie was angered by Auggie's conscious decision to forget them, she knew now that she'd done the same thing. Once she was in Israel, married to Eyal, with Deborah, she hadn't thought of her past life, either.

"So, what happened to end it?" she asked.

"I don't know. we began to drift apart," he said, a touch of regret in his voice. He took a drink from his mug. "Suddenly, what was perfect wasn't so perfect anymore. I fought for us, but after a while, realized I was the only one doing it. It took me a year, that last year, but I had to let go and come back."

A silence dropped between them for a few minutes, and Annie let it stand. His face flashed with remembered emotion, and she let him work through it. She knew nothing she could say could make him feel better.

"We've lost so much time," she said after a few minutes.

"Don't think like that," Auggie said. "We're here, now. Even if 50 years had passed before we saw each other again, I'd be happy to see you and share your life for whatever we had left together."

"You mean that?" Annie asked.

"Annie, in the past five years, I've had exactly seven dates, and one relationship that lasted about six months."

"Why" bounced arouned immediately in Annie's brain, but did she really want to know the answer? Did she want to flatter herself that he was waiting for her? He knew only that she was on a long-term undercover operation, no return date given. But he had no idea she was married at the time, that she had a daughter. He could've asked again, looked for her.

"I can hear you thinking, you know," Auggie said.

"No, you can't," Annie retorted.

Auggie leaned forward, "You inhaled sharply, and your breathing became slightly faster. I'm sure if I took your pulse, your heart rate would be increased."

Annie gasped, then remembered his severely acute hearing. "That's mean. No fair using your super powers against a helpless girl."

Auggie laughed out loud. "Helpless? You, Annie Walker, are about as helpless as I have super powers."

Annie huffed again, somewhat real, somewhat in realization that he was right. Conversation fell to a silence between them again as the last of the pitcher was poured and drained. Annie knew some things still needed talked out between them, but there was no reason it needed to happen tonight. Just being there with him made her happy.

"So, is a waitress anywhere near? Our pitcher's empty," Auggie said.

"Hold up, Auggie. I still gotta drive, plus Deborah –"

At the sound of her daughter's name, Annie's cellphone began to chime. "Oh, that's her now," she said. "Hello, sweetheart."

Auggie wondered if he should excuse himself so as not to eavesdrop, but she could've gotten up, as well, and didn't. Still, he couldn't help hearing some of Deborah's words and, of course, Annie's side.

"I'm so happy you're having fun with Chloe and Katia. Yes, that's fine. No, I'll be okay. You have fun and give my love to the girls. I love you, too. See you tomorrow."

Annie smiled as she slid her cell back into her purse. Auggie was looking at her, so she said, "Apparently, the girls want Deborah to have her first sleepover."

"Ahh, okay."

"She also said if I'm lonely without her, I could call Mr. Auggie and ask him to come over."

The grin that lit Auggie's face made Annie laugh. "Just what we needed," she said. "My own daughter trying to play matchmaker."

"Well,"Auggie said as he leaned on the table, "it'd be a real crime to disappoint her. She'd be mad at me if I left her Ema all alone for the night."

Annie's heart rate jumped once again as images of having Auggie to herself for the night raced to the forefront of her mind. In the past, she'd allowed herself to fantasize, but she'd kept those to herself. Now, though, the prospect, the reality of such a dream presented itself. The look of desire and want on Auggie's face showed him more than willing, and Deborah had more or less gave them both the go-ahead, though she doubted a 5-year-old knew all the implications of her statement that Mr. Auggie could stay with her tonight.

"Deborah might get confused if she comes home and finds you in my bed," Annie whispered.

Auggie's hands reached over, catching her forearm and sliding down to her fingers. "Don't worry about that. Forget about what others will think. What do you want to do?"

Annie knew it. Hell, even through the anger and confusion and frustration over the past few months, one thought never wavered. She wanted him. "Auggie, would you like to go home with me tonight?"

His answer came quick, as he stood up, and with a tug on her hand, pulled her up with him. His hands raised to cradle her face, and Annie leaned into them, nearly gasping at the gentle, warm touch. He wasn't done, however, as his mouth descended and pressed lightly against hers.

Not nearly long enough, and Annie had to fight against throwing herself at him as he pulled back. "I would be honored," he replied.

* * *

**A/N Woo hoo! **

**Please review. Love to get everyone's input while I'm at work today**.


	13. Chapter 13

All the way from the tavern to Annie's car, Auggie held fast to her arm. It did not feel real, this moment. He kept waiting for the blare of his alarm clock to wake him up. He'd had this fantasy, this dream at least a dozen times in the past years. Annie would return, come to him with open arms, and they'd search for some privacy to "catch up."

His dreams altered sometimes. They'd reunited everywhere in his mind. The office, his apartment, her apartment, on the street, at a concert. She always came back to him.

As the cooling autumn air of evening blew across his face, though, he knew he wasn't dreaming. Unless he slept with his window open, and he never did. This moment was real. This time it was true.

"I'm okay to drive," she said, as she brought him up to a stop at her car.

"I assumed as much. You wouldn't risk it if weren't."

Her hand slid down to his and gave it a soft squeeze before placing it on the door handle and walking around to her side. After sitting and buckling himself in, Auggie reached out to feel the interior of the car. Smooth leather, he thought. It was unlike anything he'd ever sat in before.

"Annie? What kind of ride is this?"

"Umm, why do you want to know?"

He ducked his head over to her, "Just curious. Is there a reason why I shouldn't know?"

"I'll tell you, but no wisecracks, okay?"

His interest now completely piqued, he nodded, adding in a Boy Scout salute, as well.

"Mercedes-Benz E350," Annie said in a rush, as if embarrassed to admit that she drove a high-end luxury sedan.

Auggie let a whistle slide between his teeth. "Damn."

"I only got it because I wanted a reliable car that'll last a while, plus have room for Deborah to sit in her booster seat," Annie tried to explain.

"And the only one available was a Mercedes?" Auggie asked, an eyebrow firmly raised as he smirked at her.

"Oh, shut up," Annie laughed. "In addition to buying a house and setting up funds for Deborah, I bought myself a nice car, okay?"

"Hey," Auggie said, raising his hands in defense, "no argument from me. It kind of makes me wonder, though."

"About what?"

"Where's the convertible?"

Annie grinned. She'd been waiting for him to ask. "It's in storage. I thought about selling it and giving the proceeds to a charity, you know, before I went to Israel."

"Seriously?" Auggie asked, his mouth dropped open.

"I was pretty mad at you at the time. But you did give it to me, so it was mine to do with what I wanted. If you want it back, I –"

"No, keep it," Auggie said. "I have no need for it anymore."

His voice sounded more despondent and regretful than his statement called for, and Annie stole a look across at him. "Something wrong?"

"I've been thinking about something," he said. "I want to be completely honest with you, but you should know that I haven't told anyone this."

"You can tell me anything, Auggie," Annie said.

"Eight years ago, about a week before I left to go to Africa, I went to see a doctor, a specialist. They were running candidacy tests for stem cell implantation for those with poor to no eyesight. I applied."

"My God, Auggie," Annie breathed. "Why didn't you –"

"Let me finish. It was experimental back then. It'd never been done, and I figured, what harm could it do? But I got the call back saying they'd turned me down."

"Oh, okay."

"It was my last chance. Hell, my only chance," he said with a derisive laugh. "It shouldn't have upset me as much as it did, but I couldn't help but get my hopes up."

"I'm sorry," Annie said, reaching a hand over to catch his. "I know it's a decade too late, but I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

A few minutes of silence ensued, and Annie's hand never left Auggie, except to shift gears occasionally. Her mind thought over what he'd just told her, and why he'd never said anything before. Part of her knew the reason. Auggie had always kept his personal life tied up in a thousand knots, and only those he wished to let in would gain entry.

The fact that he'd now imparted to her his secret meant he trusted her enough to know. A bubble of emotion built up in her chest. Beyond their friendship, their desire for one another, their mutual admiration, the truest emotion came to the forefront. Love. The newness of the feeling threatened a rush of tears, but she swallowed them down. Why hadn't she seen it before?

Too soon, she thought, as her heart pleaded with her to share her discovery. Not now.

"Hey," Auggie said, as the silence began to build to an uncomfortable pitch. "It's okay, you know."

"No, I know," Annie said quickly, pushing down her feelings. "Have you – I mean, could you go back? I'm sure there's been advances in the technology. Maybe –"

"I'd thought about it, but maybe later, okay?" he asked. The car began to slow and turn as Annie pulled into her driveway. "Unless you want to spend the night talking about advances in stem cell technology?"

Annie shook her head, "No, of course not."

"Then, shall we?" he asked.

* * *

Annie left Auggie in the living room, where he gravitated to the stereo system. She heard the radio click on and the changing of channels. While he was thus engaged, she hesitated, her hand on the refrigerator door. She had a couple bottles of wine, but they were in storage, and would probably take time to chill properly. Orange juice, milk and water were the only beverages available. Some hostess she was, she thought with a frown. Maybe they should have grabbed a six-pack at the bar before leaving.

His fingers finally finding a decent station, Auggie straightened as soft music wafted through the room. Annie had left him a few minutes earlier, but he hadn't heard another sound from her since she walked into the kitchen. Was she having second thoughts? They hadn't discussed what exactly would happen tonight, he knew, but surely things hadn't stalled already.

"Annie?" he called out.

She sighed and walked back through to the living room. "Unless you feel like having a bottle of water, I can't offer you anything," she said. Then she froze, her steps stuttering to a stop in the middle of the room.

Auggie stood there, his jacket off, his tie loosened. Only one lamp was on, and the soft glow of it lit up his face, and more importantly, his extended arm as he reached out to her. The radio played in the background, and the soft rock strains of a song was just ending.

The scene was too much for her to resist, and she felt herself being drawn to him, her heels clicking with every step that she took towards his outreached hand. When their fingertips touched, the exhale exuded by both of them filled the air like a soft sigh.

"Dance with me?" Auggie whispered.

Annie didn't answer, instead she turned their touching hands until their palms touched and interlaced her fingers through his. A new song started, the strains of it filling the room.

_We'll do it all_

_Everything_

_On our own_

Their intertwined hands dropped to the side, and Annie reached up with her other hand and slid her fingers along his jawline, under his ear and across the strong column of his neck. He whispered her name, the sound of it coming out of his throat huskily. Her head nestled against his chest, and as the song continued, Auggie's hand slid around her back, holding her close as they began to sway.

_We don't need_

_Anything_

_Or anyone_

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

A small part of Annie's brain, a whisper she barely heard, knew the song was a decade old, but she hushed that voice. The song was perfect, the moment was perfect, and she melted into the moment.

_I don't quite know_

_How to say_

_How I feel_

_Those three words_

_Are said too much_

_They're not enough_

Auggie'd only wanted a slow song, something amenable to having his first dance with Annie, but had he searched for the perfect one for weeks, there's no way he'd have picked one that so encapsulated what he felt at that moment. Though his musical tastes didn't avail themselves of Top 40, he knew this song. Back when it was on the charts, you couldn't not hear it. Without even realizing it, he began whispering the lyrics.

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

A shiver went through Annie as Auggie's whispers tickled her cheek. The meaning of the song, and in particular, those lyrics, struck her just as suddenly as her epiphany earlier of how deep her feelings for him went. She'd so love to just live in this moment, be held by Auggie and not worry about work, family, or other obligations.

Almost by unspoken agreement, their intertwined hands released. Annie lifted hers to his shoulder, while Auggie's went around her back. Both palms now pressed into her, pulling her close. Their dance no more than just a shuffle now, Annie was acutely aware of the increase of the steady heartbeat beneath her ear as it rested against his chest. It seemed to echo her own.

His head shifted slightly, nudging against the top of her own. She pressed against him, lifting her head as the sides of their faces stroked the other. As their foreheads met, Annie's eyes fluttered open to meet his. The sight nearly brought tears.

Her Auggie, her strong, super agent of a best friend and confidante, a man who, as long as she knew him, never wavered or backed down from a fight, looked – unsure, almost afraid. Annie nodded slightly, the movement felt by him through their contact.

It was all Auggie needed. All the waiting, the longing, the anger and frustration of not knowing where she was, who she was with, or was she happy, dissolved away as he felt her move up against him, standing on tiptoe to reach his mouth. He ducked down, partly by use of her hands on his neck as she encouraged.

As if he needed it, he thought. Though they'd already had their first one at the bar, this kiss seemed more real, more toe-curling, heart-palpitating, earth-moving. After a couple of minutes, he realized they'd stopped moving, and the radio had moved on into another song. Both of them were breathing hard. Annie's head tucked into the crook of his neck, and he held her close, both arms wrapped completely around her back.

Never before had Annie felt so safe, so cherished as she did at that moment. Again, a soft voice crept into her mind, reminding her of the last time she was held by a man in such a way, but she shooed it away. Over the past few months, she'd grieved for her lost husband, but came to realize that he'd never want her to stay a crying widow. She'd loved her husband, but she knew now was the time that she let him go, and let herself live and love once again.

With sure hands, she lifted away from him a couple inches. He whispered her name in question, but she didn't answer and began to loosen his tie even further. When the knot released, she pulled it loose and dropped it beside them. Her fingers then began to work loose the buttons on his shirt. As his strong, muscled chest came into view, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss into the skin.

That soft touch nearly undid Auggie, as he'd been trying like hell to restrain himself. Surely by now she could feel against her the effect of what she was doing. As another button was undid, and her lips once again pressed into the exposed skin, his arms tightened, pulling her flush against him.

"Annie, please tell me you're sure about this," he said, the restraint making his voice somewhere between a groan and a whisper.

His answer came in a soft brush of her lips against his before she pulled away again, taking a few steps now until only their hands touched.

With sure, slow steps, Annie began walking backwards until she reached her destination. "Stairs," she whispered, taking a step up. The realization of where she was leading him lit his face, and she couldn't resist kissing him again. Then he smiled and said, "Lead the way."

* * *

**A/N The song, of course, is "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. Loved writing this chapter. What do you think?**

**Please review.**


	14. Chapter 14

Someone was touching her. The short journey from complete blissful sleep to wakefulness gave Annie one thought - a hand was ghosting over her nude body, pausing every so often to caress. From her shoulders down her back to her thighs. You'd think a trained spy who was paid to have senses on alert at all times would find this alarming, but beyond an initial half-second of shock, Annie froze.

She knew it was Auggie. After spending half of the dark hours making love, they'd succumbed to exhaustion and slept. Her dreams then took over. Though she'd dreamt of them together over the years, now that her mind had something real to compare her fantasies to, it decided to play catch-up and realign the dreams, complete with remarkable life and color and the sweet words he'd whispered, said, and shouted.

She took a subtle deep breath, afraid that if she moved, he'd stop his careful mapping of her body. She'd seen him do this with inanimate objects or new surroundings. It continued for another few minutes, and she kept her breathing even so he'd think she was still asleep. She reveled in the soft, loving touch until his hand reached her shoulder and pulled slightly. She allowed him to turn her over, and the thought that he was going to continue his map quest on her front gave her goosebumps.

"I knew you weren't sleeping," he whispered, his hand gliding along her collar bone to her neck.

"Then why'd you stop?" she asked, the slightest touch of a whine in her voice.

He smiled lazily and leaned down to kiss her, his lips soft against hers and, to her disappointment, too brief. "Because, my love, my internal clock says it's about 6am, and we have work this morning."

Annie groaned as his words pulled her completely from her fantasy world where only she, him, and their bed lived. With an over-dramatic sigh, she turned her head to her nightstand where her digital clock with its oversized numbers winked at her as it turned to 6:01am.

"Seriously?" she giggled. "You can tell time down to the minute?"

"It's one of my many talents," he said, taking a nip of her jawline. "And as much as I'd like to continue this for several more days, I believe you're about to have visitors."

Annie groaned. He was right. Had this been a weekend morning, Rebecca wouldn't be coming by, and Deborah would be begging to spend the day with Danielle. But no, it was Friday morning. They had work. Deborah had school. And Rebecca would be coming by in an hour to clean and shop and help get Deborah ready.

"We've got an hour," she pointed out. "Unless –"

She thought fast. Did Danielle know when Deborah's school began? Did she know when to have her back to the house to get her ready? Only one way to find out, she thought, as she slid out from under Auggie's hands and stood.

"Let me go check my phone to see if Danielle left a message," she said as she tied her robe around herself. Her phone was still in her purse on the kitchen table where she'd dropped it after coming back with Auggie last night. And there it was, the little light blinking away with notifications.

No phone call, but a text message.

"Deborah having fun. Hope you are, too. *wink Will return her at 7am."

Annie breathed out a sigh of relief. They had an hour. An hour to figure out what to do, who to tell, what to tell. A small part of her, as she stood there staring at the shiny device, wanted to send a mass e-mail to all her contacts shouting that she and Auggie were together. But another, larger part, wanted to bask in the newness of it all and not tell a soul.

"Annie?"

Dragged out of her thoughts, she turned to see Auggie entering the kitchen. Slightly disappointed that he'd redressed, she said, "I'm here. Danielle's bringing her back at 7."

"Okay."

"We've got an hour," she remarked, sliding up to him and wrapping her arms around his back.

"Mmm, I know, but I've still got to get back to my place and dress," he said.

"Why bother?"

"Because I'm a little old to do a walk of shame," he said with a chuckle.

"Shame?" Annie teased, nuzzling her nose into the base of his throat where his white shirt lay open. She flicked her tongue into the hollow there and smiled as he shuddered. She'd have to remember that sensitive spot.

"Keep that up, and I'll make sure both of us do a walk of shame from here to Moscow," he said.

"Mm-mm," Annie said, shaking her head back and forth. "Tell no one. I want you all to myself for a while."

His arms by now had completely enveloped her, and Annie was more than aware of the fact that nothing but a thin layer of silk lay between her naked body and his large, sensitive hands.

"You sure you can pull that off?" he said. "Such a covert op would require no touching, no sidelong glances, no whispered words when you think no one is listening."

Annie leaned back in his embrace, her arms on his shoulders. "Is that a challenge, assistant director? I haven't been out of the game that long."

"Neither have I," he countered, a thick eyebrow arching up. "What do you think?"

"Well, a part of me wants to shout to the world that I've finally nabbed the elusive August Anderson, but a bigger part of me wants to keep you all to myself. Guess I'm pretty selfish, huh?"

"As long as I'm the one you're coveting, that's no problem," he said.

One quick, sizzling kiss that had her standing on tiptoe later, he released her with a heavy sigh. "I do have to get back to my place now, though. See you in a few hours?"

"You okay with walking? I can drive you," she offered.

"Annie, if you drive me to my place, you won't be coming back here for the rest of the weekend," he said. "It's not that far."

She watched him walk to the front door, a feeling of loss growing larger in her as their magical night drew to an end.

* * *

A few minutes into her workday, Annie's in-house messager blinked. She opened it to find a short note from Auggie.

_"I seem to be missing a tie."_

She smiled and wrote back, _"I found it. Be glad I saw it before Deborah did."_

_"Think we can risk having lunch together?"_

_"Only if you keep your hands to youself."_

_"Is that a challenge? If so, accepted."_

Annie's phone rang, so she closed out the encrypted messaging window and answered. "Hannah Levin."

"Annie, could you come to my office, please?" Joan asked.

"Be right there."

Here it is, she thought. She picked up her file and straightened her skirt and slid her blazer back on. She couldn't tell from Joan's voice whether or not a decision had been made. Hopefully, Joan would agree that Operation Hummingbird was legitimate.

* * *

Auggie wondered why Annie didn't respond to his last message, but then a new one came through from Joan asking him to come across the hall. Ahh, he thought, back to work. No worries. Eight more hours, pending no emergencies, ad they'd have the rest of the weekend together. He didn't know about Annie, but his life from here on was about to change drastically, with the both of them together for a long time.

When he opened his door, a familiar click-clack of heels and a light, spicy perfume wafted toward him. It'd only been a couple of hours, but he missed her almost as much as he had during the eight years they were apart.

"Hey," she said as she came closer. "Waiting for me?"

"My whole life," Auggie said in a low voice as he opened Joan's door for her. Annie walked past him into the room, and he followed, only to be brought up short as she stopped a few feet in. "Annie, what –"

"Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes."

That voice immediately set Auggie's teeth on edge. "Jai Wilcox?" he said incredulously. "What the hell? How did you get back in the building?"

"Actually, I was speaking to Mrs. Levin, but it's good to see you, as well, assistant director."

* * *

For a few seconds, Annie was thrown back ten years to when she first shook hands with Jai Wilcox. Auggie stood between them then, as well, and she wondered if the three of them would ever get together without testosterone and threats wafting in the air.

"Good to see you, too, Jai. I didn't know you still worked here," she said, taking his offered handshake while moving in front of Auggie to keep the peace.

"Officially? I'm not here. Remember that if anyone asks if you've seen me," he said with a smile.

Annie shook her head in confusion and wonder. Confusion 'cause what he was saying made absolutely no sense, and wonder, because though they've all grown older and shown it, Jai didn't seem to age one bit. Maybe his hair was a bit shorter, but the smile still gleamed, and it didn't look like he managed to get one wrinkle on his handsome face.

The two men she stood between still seemed to be measuring the other, and Annie turned her eyes to Joan for relief. "Director, you wanted to see me?"

"All of you, actually, if you'd like to join me?"

Leaving the two men to find their own seats, Annie took the one directly across from her desk and sat down.

"I guess some re-introductions are in order first," Joan said. "Annie Walker, or Hannah Levin, as she was previously known for the past handful of years, is here now as a translations tech and analyst. Auggie, you all know, I guess, as my assistant. And Jai Wilcox, whose tenure in the CIA ended five years ago – before you returned, Auggie – when he entered the private security business."

Annie heard Auggie scoff to the side of her. "Excuse me, but private security?"

"Geez, Anderson, it's been five years. Could you possibly lay aside your chest-thumping?" Jai said.

"Is this in regards to my analysis?" Annie interrupted, keeping her eyes on Joan. The antics behind her between what should two grown men was starting to annoy her. "Is that why you brought Jai in?"

"Yes," she said. "Jai, if you could fill Annie in on what you've found?"

Annie looked up at him expectantly, her eyes begging him to drop the posturing and proceed with the information at hand. He stood and handed her another file, which she opened.

"Joan contacted me yesterday. Though Auggie chuckled at my 'private security business,' my company has been working in international relations and security for the past handful of years. We occassionally do consulting work for the agency."

"Wait a minute," Annie said. "You're outsourcing my mission?"

"Annie," Joan admonished. "Remember what you gave me. One person's opinion, nothing to back it up except that same person's months-old intel."

"Come on, Joan," Auggie begged.

"I haven't said no, have I? Neither of you know this, so let me explain. Nothing I am telling you goes outside this office. The Hill frowns on us hiring out work to civilians, and since Jai understands all of the ins and outs of these polical machinations, he's able to help us."

"My team and I, let's say, are able to get the information and intel that wouldn't normally be sanctioend by the CIA," Jai explained.

Annie wasn't quite sure about all this, and though she tried to keep her emotions in check, her doubt must've shown on her face for a few seconds.

"Annie, I believe you, truly," Joan said. "But you know more than everyone that Mossad will not just take a call from us asking about this, nor would they accept a stranger nosing around their country. When your liaison position with them ended, it was not refilled. Their decision."

"Okay, I guess I understand, but what can Jai do, if they're so mistrustful of us now?"

All heads turned towards Jai.

"I have a contact in country that will handle it," he said.

"That's it?" Annie asked.

"It's all I can tell you now, yes."

She swung her head around to Joan, who with one look told her not to push her luck any further. Auggie's face almost reflected the same, so she nodded in half-defeat and stood. "Well, if you need anything further than what's in this folder," she said, handing it to Jai, "don't hesitate to contact me."

Jai took the folder with a smile. "I will, Annie. Look, it's been such a long while. Perhaps we can catch up over lunch or –"

"No, thank you," she answered quickly. "I have plans."

The click-clack of heels told Auggie that Annie took her leave after turning Jai down. He didn't bother hiding his amusement at another instance of Wilcox getting his comeuppance. Geez, didn't the man know Annie's only been a widow for three months? Apparently, he hadn't learned subtlety in the years he's been gone.

"If you've got nothing further for me," he said, "I've got work to do."

When he got to his office, he wasn't two steps in when the door slid shut behind him, and he felt Annie's hand on his arm. "Annie, what –"

"I can't believe Joan farmed out my operation to Jai!" she said.

"Annie, wait."

"No, Auggie. It's not fair. It's like she doesn't trust me or my analysis."

"She didn't say that."

"Then how else am I supposed to take this?" she asked, her heels clicking around his office.

"Exactly how it was explained. You've been gone for a while, Annie. We've changed somewhat. We've had to."

She sighed, "Seriously? You wouldn't lie to me about something like this, would you?"

That brought Auggie up short, and he crossed the room to her, taking her hands in his. "I would assume last night cemented how I feel for you, Annie, and right here, right now is not the place, but you need to know this. I trust you with everything I possess. I will never lie to you, nor will I try to sway you from what you believe. I love you, Annie Walker. Okay?"

"Umm – okay?"

He chuckled at the squeak of an answer, knowing that he pretty much shut her up with that little speech. It kind of shocked him, as well, but really, there was no use in holding back. Not now.

"You should get back to work," he said, wanting like hell to pull her into his arms. "Don't forget, lunch. Noon."

"Okay."

"Also, if you've got no plans for this weekend, I thought maybe Deborah would like to visit the National Zoo."

"Okay."

Knowing he'd probably shocked her beyond use of one-word answers now, he gave her hands an assuring squeeze and slid open his door. "See you at lunch," he said, before shepherding her out.

* * *

**A/N Took a couple days to put this chapter together. One for the morning after, tonight for Jai's arrival. Thanks again to call2worship for the neverending help throughout this story, plus her initial idea for Recrudescence.**

**Well, what do we all think? Like Jai coming back? How about A&A? And Auggie's little speech? I wasn't expecting him to say that, either, but hey, why hold back?**

**Please review. I know the story's getting up there in chapter numbers, but I love hearing from you guys all the time, beginning or end.**

**Thanks!**


	15. Chapter 15

"Deborah, we're leaving in 15 minutes! Do you need me to help you pick something to wear?" Annie shouted up the steps.

"No!"

Annie shook her head and resumed packing their matching bags (large flowered shoulder bag for her, small flowered backpack for Deborah). She checked the time again. 9:30am. The Zoo opened at 10am, and Auggie said he wanted them to get there when it opened so Deborah could see everything.

Being a mom for the past five years had taught Annie that to overpack was a fallacy. She'd gotten the system down to a science, but always checked to make sure nothing was missing. If Deborah didn't find her small bottle of hand lotion in her bag, Annie knew she'd throw a fit. Same went with her hair brush or the book she was currently reading or a notepad. She was her mother's daughter, Annie mused, though her own packing needs often coincided with having to leave a country incognito and very quickly.

She knew there were plenty of places to eat, but snacks and a bottle of water each were included, just in case. As she waited for Deborah to appear, she wondered if she should've packed some items for Auggie. The doorbell rang just then, so she'd have to ask him herself and hope for the best.

"Auggie's here, Deborah! Are you dressed yet?" she shouted up as she walked over to the door. The running of feet answered her, so she went to let in Auggie. Her hand just barely shook as she took hold of the doorknob.

After his speech – his revelation, really – yesterday morning, he'd said nothing else about his feelings for her or where he thought they were headed in their relationship. She'd been shocked speechless. Not that she didn't know how she felt, but the words got caught in her throat. How did he do it?

"Auggie, hi," she said, as the smiling love of her life stood on her doorstep, almost bouncing in his sneakers. Though he always looked good to her, the dark denim jeans and long-sleeved blue henley shirt clung to his muscled body. She allowed herself to gawk for a couple of seconds before moving aside to let him in.

"Good morning," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and slyly brushing his lips across her cheek. "I missed you last night," he whispered before stepping away.

The shaking of her hands was now replaced by an erratic heartbeat at his words. God, she thought. How was she supposed to get through the rest of the day if just a slight touch sent her heart racing like this? The answer came as Deborah came racing down the stairs and towards Auggie. Thankfully, the little girl slowed down and walked the next few feet to him.

"Hi, Auggie!"

"Boker tov, Dvorah. Ma shlomech?" Auggie asked, bending down and extending an arm to her, which she accepted, hugging him around the neck.

"Metzuyan, toda," Deborah answered with a giggle. "You do know Hebrew!"

"Told you I did," he said, releasing her and standing up. "Hope you've got your walking shoes on. We've got a lot of animals to visit today."

Annie looked around Auggie to see what Deborah had chosen to wear today. She'd long given up trying to dress her herself or lay out clothes. It often resulted in a fight and screaming, which Annie really didn't want to do. There were so many things to worry about in the world, that if Deborah wanted to wear a tutu over her jeans, she could.

But surprise, surprise, Annie thought, as she took in Deborah's outfit. She'd picked bright pink shorts, ankle socks with little bows on the side, sneakers and a flouncy shirt that usually went with a skirt. Well, Annie thought, can't win them all. Plus, she did look really cute.

"Are you going to be warm enough, honey?" she asked. "Remember, it's autumn now."

"I got my hoodie," she said proudly, waving the pink garment.

"Good idea. I think I'll get my own," she said, looking down at her own outfit of jeans, sneakers and t-shirt.

While she got it out of the closet, she heard Deborah ask, "Do you have a hoodie, Auggie?"

"No, but I'll be warm enough," he replied. "See, long sleeves."

"Ema, did you pack my bag?"

"Yes, I did," Annie replied, picking it off the counter and opening it for her perusal. "We're going to eat when we get there, okay?"

"Okay."

"Are you ready to go, Auggie?" she asked, picking up her own bag and slinging it on her shoulder.

"You bet," he replied. "Best if you drive, though."

Annie laughed at the old joke, but Deborah looked puzzled. "Ema," she whispered, "Can Mr. Auggie really drive?"

"No, honey. He's joking," Annie said, taking her hand and walking towards the front door. She hesitated for a second as Deborah reached over and grabbed Auggie's hand. He'd brought his cane, but it seemed Deborah was keen on helping him whenever she could.

* * *

An hour later, Annie smiled at the sight the three of them must've made as they strolled through the exhibits. She steered. Auggie held her elbow. Deborah gave directions from her vantage point atop Auggie's shoulders.

Knowing her daughter wasn't that slight of a weight, she almost protested when he automatically lifted her when they'd arrived. But apparently, Auggie's strength was twice of hers, 'cause beyond Deborah's squeal when being placed six feet into the air, he never complained once. In fact, he hadn't stopped smiling since they got there.

She'd have to ask him about it later, when Deborah inevitably exhausted herself into a nap. She knew Auggie expected them to spend the entire day there, but she knew her daughter. By 3pm, she planned to steer them back towards the parking lot and the car.

"What do you want to see next?" Auggie asked.

"The reptile house!" Deborah shouted from her perch.

Annie felt Auggie's hand clench momentarily on her arm, and she looked up at him. The smile was gone, replaced by his lips pursed together.

"What's the matter?" she whispered. "Don't you like snakes?"

"Not really," he whispered back. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"We can go somewhere else, or maybe stop for lunch, if you want."

"No, I'm good. She wants to see the reptiles," he said, urging her on.

"Auggie, Deborah wants to see everything, and it'd take a few days of visiting here to do that."

"Ema, do you think they'll have chameleons?"

"Probably," Annie answered. "We're going to eat after, so we can't stay long."

"Okay!"

As they followed the path and signs to Reptile Discovery Center, she heard Auggie whisper over to her, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she whispered back. Then, consulting her park map, she said, "After the center, we can go by the apes and make it to the Panda Café to eat. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great," Auggie said. "I'm working up an appetite here," he said, giving Deborah a bounce on his shoulders, which she giggled at.

"Am I too heavy, Mr. Auggie?" Deborah asked.

"Oh, no," Auggie replied. "Besides, with you giving directions and Annie leading, we make a great team."

Yes, we do, Annie thought. She couldn't help but notice some people's looks and smiles at the three of them. They probably thought they were a natural family of father, mother and daughter enjoying the zoo. If only, she thought. It might be too soon to start envisioning such a permanent life change, but she couldn't help thinking about it.

* * *

Four hours later, Auggie had had to slide Deborah from his shoulders down into his arms when her head slumped onto his. Annie had warned him that she usually has an afternoon nap, but he expected a bit of a heads up when that happened. He carefully held the little girl in his arms as Annie walked them back to the car.

After a few minutes, they were all settled in Annie's Mercedes. She rolled the windows down to allow the breeze to cool the interior. Deborah was snoring quietly in her booster seat behind them, and Annie kicked off her sneakers to stretch her feet.

"Thanks for suggesting this, Auggie."

"You're welcome."

"Deborah seems to have enjoyed herself."

"I knew she would," he replied. "Most kids like animals."

"So, she'll probably sleep for an hour," Annie said. "Want to head back to the house?"

"If you don't mind, I'd rather stay here for a while and talk," he said.

"Oh, okay," Annie said, turning in her seat towards him and tucking her legs under herself. "Anything but work, please. I've been able to not think about what Jai's doing all day and don't want to start now."

Auggie chuckled, "I promise, no shop talk. Actually, I've been thinking about something else that happened yesterday."

"Mm-hmm?"

"About something else I said, actually," Auggie said, wondering internally if he should bring this up now, or hold off until they were truly alone. He kept his hearing tuned to Deborah's breathing in case she woke up. He didn't want to put it off any further, though. In trying to calm Annie down yesterday and convince her that Joan's course of action was the correct one, he'd unwittingly confessed his deepest feelings to her, surprising her, he knew, given her one-word answers, but also himself.

Annie nodded and said, "Okay." She knew exactly what he was talking about and had wondered throughout the day if he was going to bring it up again. She glanced a look back at Deborah, but the girl was deeply asleep. And for once, Annie didn't mind how heavily she slept.

"I meant it, just so you know, but I don't want you to feel like I was pushing you towards anything, or that I expect you to –"

Annie hushed him with a finger to his lips. "Auggie, you don't have to."

"I don't?" he asked against her finger.

"No, because I feel the same way, too."

He smiled against her finger, and Annie giggled. Then she gasped as his hand came up to hers, and he pressed a kiss against her fingertips. "Say it again?" he asked, holding her hand to his cheek.

"I feel the same way, too."

"Annie," he growled.

She couldn't help but laugh softly at his begging. She so wanted to keep him like that, 'cause he looked so cute in his vulnerability and uncertainty, but it wasn't fair, she knew. Besides, the words didn't mean that much now, not after two nights ago. Actions always meant more to Annie than words, and their coupling that night cemented the fact that there was no going back for her now.

"I love you, Auggie."

He closed his eyes, savoring that voice, those few seconds in his life that he'd waited a decade to hear. Even when he was with other women, he'd wished in the back of his mind that it was Annie he held and who held him back.

"Auggie?"

"Mm?"

"What's going to happen now?"

He continued to caress her hand against his cheek and said, "Can we just stay like this?"

"I'd love to, but Deborah will eventually wake up, and I'll probably get hungry."

He laughed, "Yeah, and Joan might notice eventually."

"Ugh, no work talk, you promised," Annie moaned.

"Sorry. Is Deborah still asleep?"

Annie looked back and saw that her daughter's head leaned against her booster seat's rest. "Yeah, she's out. She sleeps heavy. Sometimes it's impossible to wake her up without a fight."

"Good," Auggie said, pulling gently on her hand. Possible onlookers be damned, he thought. There was no way he was having this life-changing moment with Annie without sealing it.

It didn't take a genius to realize what Auggie was trying to do, and Annie shifted forward in her seat. She balanced herself on the median console and met his lips with hers. Though she loved and committed to memory every caress and embrace she'd shared with him, this be catalogued in the "where it all began" category.

It really should've lasted longer, Auggie thought, and perhaps had been in a more conducive place to continue showing her how he felt and how deeply. But after spending the last five years pining over what he thought he'd lost, he'd take one kiss in the front seat of a car with a sleeping 5-year-old a few feet away any day.

After resettling back in her seat, Annie ran her hands through his hair, almost missing the longer curls, but it was still long enough for her to play with. "I have to ask one thing of you," she said.

"If you keep doing that, the answer's yes, no matter what."

"Let me talk this over with Deborah first," she said. "I'll do it tonight. It's just, she's my first priority, no matter what, and –"

This time, it was Auggie shushing Annie's words with a finger to her lips. "I wouldn't expect anything else and wouldn't have it any other way," he said. "I love her, too, and not just because she's your daughter. She's a wonderful little girl."

"Thank you," Annie whispered. "What do you say we head home now?"

* * *

**A/N Ahh, finally. Finally, finally, finally. Took 15 chapters, but finally got these two to confess. Sometimes they're just so bullheaded and stubborn.**

**Leave a word in review? Need to know what y'all think so far.**


	16. Chapter 16

"Ema, didn't Auggie want to eat with us?"

Annie looked up from her plate and saw e Deborah pushing her favorite meal, homemade macaroni and cheese, around her plate. "I don't know, honey. I didn't ask him. You were still napping in the car when I dropped him off at his apartment, then we came home."

"Oh," she said, then with an overdramatic sigh, she continued poking at her meal.

Recognizing the movement – Deborah never not ate her homemade mac and cheese – Annie placed her fork on the plate and leaned forward. "Is there something wrong, honey?"

She really hoped she didn't get another sigh or whining that sometimes accompanied her mood. Deborah didn't have them very often, but Annie worked hard to keep their relationship open and frequently told Deborah she could talk to her about anything.

"I want Auggie to stay here," Deborah said.

Annie's eyes went wide before she tamped down her excitement. She'd been spending the whole time while preparing the meal and eating it how to bring up her and Auggie's new relationship status. She didn't want to influence her daughter's decisions, but this required tact and full disclosure.

"He's not too far away," she pointed out. "And we can call him any time we want."

"I know," Deborah sighed.

"Tell me, honey, how do you feel about Auggie?"

The pout was immediately replaced by a smile. "I like him."

Annie nodded, that much was easy to decipher. All kids seemed to gravitate towards the man.

"He makes you smile, and I like that," Deborah continued. "You frown too much."

Glad that she didn't have any liquid or food in her mouth, Annie nevertheless choked a little and coughed. "I don't, do I?" she asked.

Deborah gave yet another over-dramatic sigh and slid off of her chair and came over to Annie, who automatically lifted her onto her lap. The movement was ingrained in the both of them, as they'd spent the first month after Eyal's death like this, offering each other warmth and comfort.

"It's sweet that you're looking out for me, honey," Annie said. "I'm sorry I haven't been smiling as much as I should."

"It's okay. I miss him, too," Deborah said, taking a lock of Annie's hair and winding it around her finger.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Deborah spoke up again.

"Do you think Abba would be mad that I like Mr. Auggie so much?"

Annie swallowed convulsively, partly through wonder how her daughter could so effectively mirror her own thoughts, and partly from relief that she'd finally gotten Deborah to speak about what's been bugging her.

She shook her head, "I don't think so, sweetheart. Your Abba knew Auggie before you were born. He knows he's a good man."

"Aunt Danielle said you liked Mr. Auggie before you and Abba met."

Annie leaned back in her chair, cradling Deborah in her arms and mentally cursing Danielle for her big mouth. "Auggie and I were good friends back then, so yeah, I did like him. We worked together."

Another minute passed in silence, but Annie refused to rush this conversation, even if their mac and cheese turned ice cold. She told Auggie she'd talk to Deborah about them tonight. She loved the man, always had, but Deborah's feelings came first and foremost. It'd hurt like the dickens, but if Deborah balked at allowing Auggie any further into their little family, she'd have to draw the line as friends.

"But you like him, right? How you liked Abba?"

And there it was, Annie thought. Be honest, she told herself.

"Yes, honey. Though I will always love Eyal, I feel the same way about Auggie."

"Hmm."

Annie kept her hand stroking Deborah's back, though inside she tensed. "Hmm"? That's all the little girl had to say? Her Ema had just confessed that she loved a man other than her father, and she had nothing more to say? She almost wanted to take her by the shoulders and make her speak, but that'd only scare her.

Finally, the silence was too much, and Annie began to speak. "I know it's a lot to think about, Deborah, but you have to know that there is no limit to how much we love or how many people we love. Just because I love Auggie doesn't mean I don't love you any less, nor does it mean that I didn't love your Abba. It's the way it works. I think that the more people we have in our lives to love, the happier we are."

Halfway through her rushed speech, she felt Deborah moving a little, and now that she was done speaking, she realized the little girl was giggling and trying way too hard to stiffle it. She pulled away a little to look down at her. "What – what are you laughing at?"

Caught now, Deborah's hand came up to cover her mouth, but it didn't cover the little noises still coming from her throat. Then she said, in a singsong voice, "Ema and Auggie sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Deborah," Annie said, half-laughing now herself, "Where did you hear that?"

Deborah looked a little bit guilty, but laughter was still in her eyes when she said, "Katia. Chloe's got a boyfriend."

Annie laughed, "Oh, my gosh, really?"

"Yep," Deborah answered, "she does. And she said she saw Chloe kissing him."

"Ooh, we better not tell Aunt Danielle."

"Cross my heart," Deborah said, her little finger making a big X on her chest.

The emotion-filled air now broken, Annie brought the conversation back around. "Deborah, honey, you know I love you more than anything. I – well, I love Auggie, too, but if you don't want to change the way things are now, we can –"

"No!" Deborah said suddenly. "I want Auggie here. He's nice, and he speaks Hebrew, and he never laughs at the way I talk, and he gave me flowers, and – and – and he makes you smile!"

"Okay, honey," Annie said, taking hold of the little girl's flailing hands. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay with him being in our lives now."

"Of course I am," Deborah said with a roll of her eyes that made Annie wonder what else Chloe and Katia taught the little girl.

"Good. Should we get back to our mac and cheese now?"

"Ooh, yeah," Deborah said, scrambling down off of Annie's lap and running back to her chair.

Slightly cooled but still edible, Annie dove into her plate, as did Deborah. Well, she thought, that's one hurdle cleared. There'd probably be more in the future – and when wasn't there, really – but the most important one was cleared.

* * *

Annie waited until Deborah was asleep in bed before calling Auggie that night. It usually took about a half an hour of talking and reading and cajoling before she settled down, but she was still exhausted from the trip to the zoo, despite the hour-long nap.

Returning to the living room, Annie curled up in her armchair, her bare legs tucked under with her night shirt pulled over her knees. She picked up her cell and dialed.

"Hey, Annie."

"Hey, Auggie," she replied. "You're not busy, are you?"

"No, just sitting at home wondering why I didn't ask if I could stay for supper. And breakfast."

Annie grinned at the not-so-subtle come-on. "Deborah had the same thought. Only without the sexual overtones."

"She missed me, huh?"

"She's not the only one," Annie said softly. "We talked at supper."

"Oh, right," Auggie said. "I want to know what happened, but in a way –"

"It's fine, Auggie. In fact, she brought it up."

"Huh?"

"Well, first she said she wanted you to stay here, then she said she likes you because you make me smile."

"I do, huh?"

"Yep. Apparently, I frown too much, and it makes her sad. Sometimes I wonder how a 5-year-old can be so perceptive, but yeah."

"Kids are honest and observant."

"I know," Annie said. "Do you want to hear the whole conversation, or –"

"It'd be easier, I guess."

"I know, but this next part is kind of sad. She asked if Eyal would be mad because she liked you so much," Annie said.

"Oh, wow."

Annie half-laughed. "Oh wow is right. I thought maybe she'd talk at my wanting to spend time with you, but I guess not."

"What did you tell her?"

"That Eyal had met you and knew you were a good man, and that we should love as many people as we can, if they truly make us happy," Annie summed up.

"That's sweet," he said. "So what happens now? Did she want to talk to me, you think?"

"Yes, if you don't mind. I hate talking for you, so maybe tomorrow, or one day next week, if you're not doing anything," Annie offered.

"My love, I'd spend every free minute with you and Deborah, you never have to ask. Not now."

Annie thrilled inwardly at the endearment. He'd let it slip a few times already, and just hearing those two words in his husky tone snet shivers down her spine. "Just trying to be polite," she teased.

"Mm-hmm. Is the offer for breakfast still open?"

Annie scoffed, "You offered yourself, if I'm not mistaken. But you're welcome at any time. Should I make you a key?"

Auggie laughed, "Maybe later. I would like to talk to Deborah soon, though. I don't want to wait much longer if she's having doubts and asking questions."

"Yep, especially as soon as you hear what else she said tonight," Annie said. "Which reminds me, I have to talk to Danielle about Chloe and Katia."

"Huh?"

"Apparently, Chloe's got a boyfriend, and Katia was teasing her."

"Chloe's got a what?" Auggie asked. "Isn't she a big young for that?"

"Auggie, they're both teenagers. I'd be more worried if they didn't date by now," she said. "Taking the old 'Uncle Auggie' tag a little seriously, aren't you?"

Auggie said nothing, but humphed into the phone.

"I'm telling you this, 'cause Deborah might bring it up, but Katia taught her that old song about a boy and girl sitting in a tree."

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G?" Auggie finished.

"That's the one. When I confessed to her that I did love you, she began to giggle and teasing me with it. Just wanted to warn you."

"Really?" Auggie asked.

"Oh, yes. She's become a little drama queen since we got here. Maybe I should cut back on her tv watching."

"No," Auggie interrupted. "You told her you loved me?"

"Well, yes, that's what this talk was supposed to be about, wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes, of course. I just wasn't sure how far you were going to go with it."

"I never want to lie to her, Auggie, even by omission."

He was quiet for a few seconds, and Annie began to get a little worried. Did he expect her to not tell Deborah?

"So," Auggie said after a minute. Then in a singsong voice reminiscent of Deborah's previous taunt, "You love me. You really love me. You want to kiss me. And have my babies."

Annie began to laugh so hard, she nearly dropped the phone. "Oh, no, not you, too!"

"Hey, I've got four older brothers whose job, it appeared, was teasing and tormenting the hell out of me growing up. Katie and Chloe have got nothing on them."

Annie shook her head. "Okay, okay, I give up."

"Aww, don't give up now. I've got years worth of taunts and teases built up."

"Then use them on Danielle and the girls. Apparently, they've been filling Deborah in on how much we liked each other years ago."

"Huh. So Deborah already knew, then."

"She guessed it. Even when I gave her the choice and said I'd just be friends with you, she shouted me down."

"Smart kid."

"You would think that," Annie said. "So, breakfast tomorrow?"

"Looking forward to it."

"Good night, Auggie."

"Sweet dreams, my love."

* * *

**A/N Wow, was writing the first half of this difficult. I need to have my own 5-year-old handy when writing this kind of story. What exactly do they think about? How do they think? How perceptive, intuitive, selfish are they? Whew. Hope I did it justice and made it sweet enough for you.**

**Please review.**


	17. Chapter 17

"Deborah, sweetheart, I know it's Sunday, but you have to get up now," Annie said, pulling the blanket back off of her little girl's head. "I talked to Auggie last night, and he's coming over for breakfast."

"He's coming over?" Deborah shouted as she jumped up, throwing the blanket over Annie. Before Annie could extricate herself from the fluffy pink fabric, Deborah had scrambled off the mattress and the door to the bathroom had shut.

Hmm, Annie thought as she straightened the bedding, gonna have to remember this tactic for future reference. Usually getting Deborah out of bed in the morning for anything other than a school day was a full hour of wheeling and dealing.

* * *

From his loft apartment to Annie's house, Auggie walked as slow as he possibly could. After talking to Annie last night, he made sure to set his alarm clock early this morning, but with his enthusiasm, he still was earlier than he expected to be. He wanted to get there early enough so they wouldn't have to wait for him, but not so early that they were still crawling out of bed in their pajamas when he knocked.

He laughed at his train of thought. Here he was, on the wrong side of his 30s, being as awkward and unsure as he was when he had his first date at 16. Of course, then all he worried about was getting a good night kiss. Now he was about to spend time with the love of his life and her daughter, who's just been told that mommy's friend Auggie was mommy's special friend who would probably kiss her on a regular basis.

He took the slow walk to the house in contemplation of what Deborah would think of him now. Would it be weird? Is she going to not like him anymore or complain when he and Annie held hands or kissed?

Before he could formulate any kind of answer or plan of action, he arrived at Annie's stoop, and his finger hit the doorbell. Even through the heavy wooden door, he could hear Deborah's voice and the pounding of her feet. He couldn't help but smile. The little girl's enthusiasm warmed his heart and dissipated all the worries he had going there.

"Auggie!" he heard as the door opened.

"Deborah!" he greeted in return. "Your Ema said I could –"

"I know, I know, come on," she said.

She took his right hand with both of hers and pulled, and he let himself be led into the house. He needed to memorize the layout of the place soon. He knew Deborah wouldn't lead him into danger, but he'd still not take the chance to hurt her or himself.

Another set of footsteps came closer, and he inhaled to a delicious surprise. Jo Malone Grapefruit. He hadn't smelled that delicius, intoxicating scent in years. "Annie, good morning."

"Good morning, Auggie," she said, and then, to his delight and surprise, she walked up to him and placed a short but nonetheless intentional kiss on his lips.

She could tell within about five feet of Auggie that he'd noticed she switched to her old scent. The smile on his face was worth the cost she'd incurred trying to find a bottle of Jo Malone Grapefruit. Though popular eight years ago, it'd fallen out of favor, and she had to buy it specially online.

The welcome kiss she gave him was deliberate and something she'd thought about since last night. She wanted to show Deborah how serious she was about her new relationship. And Auggie, obviously, didn't mind the show of affection, either. Now was the time to put into action her other idea she had last night.

"I'm glad you're here, but we've got a problem," she said, looking between the two of them. "I thought we still had some of those scones you like, Deborah, but we ate all of them."

"Oh no!" Deborah wailed.

"I know, I know," Annie said. "We have them every Sunday for breakfast. Would you mind going out to pick them up, Auggie? We've been getting them at that bakery you pointed out to us."

He nodded, but Annie could tell he knew something was up by the discerning look on his face. She really hoped he went with this and didn't give her away. Fibbing to a 5-year-old was easy enough, but she'd never been able to pull one over on him.

"Deborah, you want to go with him?" she asked, knowing full well what the answer would be, but thought she'd be polite, anyway.

"Yes! He won't know which ones I like," she said.

Exactly, Annie thought. "Then that's settled. I'll get the rest of the food fixed up while you two go," she said.

Very clever, Auggie thought as Deborah took his hand and turned them back around. He'd been wondering if his talk with Deborah should occur today, or maybe only when the little girl initiated by asking questions. With one ingenious move, Annie set them up to have at least a half an hour alone together.

"Let me get the door," Annie said. "See you soon."

"Do you know where the bakery is?" Deborah asked him as they reached the sidewalk.

"Yes, I do. I go there a few times a week myself," Auggie answered. With Deborah holding tight to his right hand, he kept his steps deliberate and his cane ever-swinging. He'd walked this neighborhood countless times in the five years he's lived in the area, but now with the charge of a little girl, he felt a more profound sense of responsibility. He never in his life thought of being a father, and now he'd been thrust into the role.

"Careful, there's a step down here," Deborah said.

Auggie felt both her hands grab his, and he smiled at her thoughtfulness. "Thank you, my sweet. I usually can tell with my cane," he said, tapping it a few more times on the concrete corner as they both step down. "But it's good to have a heads up."

"You're welcome."

They stepped back up onto the next curb with the same direction and tapping, and Auggie began to wonder if he should start the conversation, or wait until she asked him something. He didn't want to press the issue or make demands on her. Annie said she took the news really well yesterday, but did she still have questions?

He decided to go ahead and broach the subject. If she didn't answer, he'd let it be. "Deborah, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," she said, then giggled at her own joke.

"Very funny," Auggie replied with a chuckle. "I just wanted to know if you're okay with me wanting to spend more time with your Ema."

A heavy sigh came from her, and Auggie tried to decipher it. From the short time he'd known her, it could be frustration, annoyance, tiredness, or a half a dozen other things.

"Auggie," she said, "everybody already knows you like Ema, and she likes you."

"Umm, everybody?" Auggie asked, a niggle of apprehension running through him. He and Annie had only professed to each other a few days ago, how did -

"Yeah," she said with a giggle. "Aunt Danielle said you've liked each other for a long time."

Auggie let out a silent sigh of relief. Years of training and experience cultivating his covert status and ability to pass a lie detector test was nearly brought to an end by a 5-year-old. He didn't take into account Danielle's knowledge of his and Annie's friendship back then. He had a feeling that Annie's sister always knew more than she let on, even before Annie read her in.

"Yes, I like your Ema very much," he said, then with a squeeze on her fingers in his hand, "and I like you, too."

"Did you know my Abba?" she asked suddenly.

"I'd only met him a couple of times," Auggie said, "but I thought he was very smart."

"I miss him."

Auggie heard the sudden softness of her voice and pulled up to a stop. He crouched down beside her and said, "I'm sorry, Deborah."

She let go of his hand, and he felt her arms slide around his neck. "Are you going to go away, too?" she whispered.

Auggie's arms clenched around her, holding her close to him. "I will always be here for you and your Ema," he promised. He'd love to add on that there's no way to tell how long a person lives, when they'll die or how, but those philosophical musings were incomprehensible to so young. Besides, she wasn't asking for that reason, he knew. She was just a little girl who'd had her life irretrievably altered and needed some semblance of security and normality.

As they embraced, a sudden thought came to him. He'd gone through the same thing back in Tikrit when that explosion robbed him of his closest friends and fellow soldiers and his sight. He strove himself in the months after to rebuild his life and grab hold of something to make him feel useful and whole again.

"I love you, Auggie," he heard whispered into his neck.

He swallowed with a small burst of emotion and replied, "I love you, too, Dvorah."

She pulled away a bit, and he felt the ghost of a light kiss on his cheek. It struck him speechless, as Annie did the same thing years ago.

"We need to hurry," she said. "I'm hungry, and Ema will be worried if we're late."

Auggie nodded and stood back up. "Come on, then. You're going to have to help picking out the scones. I'm not sure which ones Annie wants."

"Okay!"

* * *

**A/N A bit shorter than previous chapters, but I prefer to keep the emotion contained and let it play by itself.**

**Call2wrshp will recognize a shoutout to her within. Some love to you and your family!**

**So, A&A and now D are good. phew. A few more plot lines coming up. What do you thin is up with Hummingbird? How about Jai? Anything else you'd like to see?**

**Please review.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N And now, Operation Hummingbird!**

* * *

Auggie's fingers glided over his Braille reader as he read over the details of the Close and Continuing form he'd just filled out. He'd talked with Annie last night about making their relationship official. She'd hesitated at first, and he'd agreed with her hesitation – at first.

Yes, it was much more fun and exciting keeping their relationship between the two of them, but he couldn't, as assistant director, ignore the agency regs while expecting those under him to adhere to them. Besides, he'd explained to her, the paperwork went in their confidential personnel files, and precious few had access to them.

She'd agreed, but insisted that they present the paper together. And, given the soft knock on his door right now, that'd be her. He hit the print button.

"Come in, Annie."

"Ready to go?"

"Let's do this," he said, picking up the paper from the printer. Her hand ghosted along the side of his, and he let their fingers intertwine for a couple of seconds before letting go and walking out of the office and into Joan's.

Their boss looked up from her monitor once the two of them entered, her eyes slightly narrowing. Annie almost had a fissure of laughter welling up in her as she waited for Joan's reaction to the paper Auggie was now handing over.

Once Joan's eyes read over the paper, she started to count. One, two, three –

"Well, it's about damn time."

She couldn't help it. Annie let out the bubble of laughter building up in her chest. "Well, at least she didn't fire us."

"Less than six weeks. It took both of you long enough."

"What, did you expect us to just jump into each other's arms?" Annie asked.

"Not right away," Joan said. "It's been a long time coming, though. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, we've had a lot to talk about," Auggie said. "Namely, me apologizing for leaving her all those years ago."

"Did you actually apologize for that?" Annie teased. "I don't really recall –"

"Annie," Auggie growled.

"I can count on you two to keep this out of the office, right?" Joan asked, her eyes rolling at their antics.

"We've kept it out for the past two weeks," Annie said. "So, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Remember your own directive, Auggie," Joan said. "I'll get this through the proper channels and have it back to you in a couple of days."

"Thank you, director," Annie said with a warm smile. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have heard from Jai, have you?"

She shook her head. "No, and you'll be the first to hear when I do."

"Okay," Annie said with a resigned sigh. "I guess I'll get back to my desk, then."

"Hold on," Joan said. She stood and waved them over to the couch. "Now that you two are here, I've been meaning to ask how Deborah's adjusting to everything."

Annie sat down beside Joan and pulled Auggie down with her. "Better than you'd think, considering," she said. "Though Mr. Auggie here has been making her feel welcome."

Joan's eyebrow rose at the endearment. "Mr. Auggie?"

"Hey, the girl's got manners, what can I say?" Auggie said, throwing up his hands.

"Thanks to me," Annie said. "Deborah's good, Joan. Thanks for asking."

"William's been wondering when his friend was going to visit again," she hinted.

"Well, why don't we all come by this weekend?" Annie said. "Oh, I mean, if you don't mind, Auggie. I don't want to answer for you."

Joan chuckled, "Oh, you'll get over that soon enough. We'll finalize the details later."

* * *

Over the next few days, Annie continued with her normal workload, though all the intel she came across was purely that – information. Nothing as life-threatening as Hummingbird, which meant she always had that in the back of her mind. She couldn't quite understand why they hadn't heard anything from Jai.

She trusted Joan's decision, but mainly because Auggie did, as well. She had to remind herself that they were in this game longer than she was. Joan for nearly two decades now, and Auggie nearly half that. If they'd been surreptitiously hiring out jobs like this to civilians, who was she to stand in the way?

Maybe she missed being out there, she thought. Sometimes she thought back on her life the last time she was in this building, eight long years ago. The glamour, excitement, adrenaline, and sometimes heartache and disappointment.

She wondered, if she and Eyal hadn't had Deborah, and she returned to the U.S., would she still want to get back into that life? With a firm shake of the head, she dispelled that thought. Nothing could be gained by such fanciful thoughts, she knew. Facts were facts. Deborah was here, and her life revolved solely around the little girl.

And, given the new turn of events, her life now also revolved around Auggie. His devotion to her and Deborah over the past couple of weeks never wavered, and she wondered sometimes at her luck and fortune.

When she first walked into this building, all those months ago, she thought back on how many times her life had changed, revived, started over. She hoped this time around, the change was the last, and she could settle down here with her new family.

* * *

"Hey, you want another coffee?"

Annie slid her feet up on the desk, having long since kicked off her shoes. "No, if I drink anymore, I'll spend the rest of the night in the restroom, and what good will that do?"

"You just haven't gotten your 'sit and wait' muscles as finely tuned as mine are," Auggie said with a smirk.

Annie scoffed, even though she wanted to tease him about exactly what muscles needed to be "tuned" to allow him to hold half a dozen coffees without taking a break. It'd probably lead into some weird conversation, which would lead into some not-so-weird conversation, and they'd probably start teasing and whispering sweet nothings.

None of which were appropriate for the task at hand. Annie had spent the rest of the week waiting for the phone call, a knock on the door that Jai had made some progress. It finally came Friday afternoon when Auggie messaged her to clear her night's activities, ask Deborah if she'd like to do another sleepover at Danielle's and meet him in Tech Ops at 6pm.

She left an hour early to go home and change and drive Deborah to Danielle's. She didn't bother telling Auggie that they'd all made those plans earlier in the week, and she'd been planning to invite Auggie over and cook for him.

So a candlelight dinner had been changed to takeout. At least they were alone, she thought with a shrug. Sure, a few people stayed back to finish work, but given the secretive nature of this mission that wasn't really a mission, Auggie set them up in a side room deep inside Tech Ops that she'd never even known was there.

"You have to admit," she said, looking around the room. "It's got a sort of cozy, romantic ambiance, don't you think?"

"Huh, more like a room where a few techies thought they could sneak away to and hook up," Auggie countered.

Annie froze. "Oh, my God, please tell me you're kidding."

"Nope," Auggie said. "Ask Stu to tell you the story. He's the one that found them."

"And it's been cleaned since then, right? Sanitized and all that?"

"Why do you ask?" Auggie said, laying aside his container and leaning towards her. "Wanna make out?"

"More than you want to know," Annie said, running her hand along his stubbled jaw. "But we're in a windowless room with only a couple of tables and a few chairs. I'm not sure how comfortable either of us could get."

"Spoilsport," he said as he grabbed her hand. He settled for pressing kisses against her palm, and then as he settled back in his chair, tucking it against his chest.

Annie figured she'd let him have her hand. It'd give the both some comfort and hopefully keep Auggie from making anymore passes at her. Not that she wouldn't mind, she thought. Back when she first started, she had a few fantasies of her and Auggie, alone in the building. She'd slide into Tech Ops and straddle him in his chair. He'd wonder what she was doing there, and she's place a finger on his lips, shushing him. Then she'd slide his headphones off of his ears and –

"Okay, we're hot," Auggie said, giving her hand one last squeeze before letting go of it and scooting back under the desk.

Damn, Annie thought. She was just getting to the good part. But, they were here for a reason, and should everything go well, maybe she'd fill Auggie in on the fantasy she had. Surely he had a pair of headphones lying around the house.

"Yeah, Jai, I've got her here with me. We're on a secure line."

"_Annie? Or do I have to call you Hannah now?"_

"Annie's fine, Jai. Tell us what's going on."

For the next half hour, Annie watching Auggie's screens as his fingers flew along the readout, and he fed information to Jai and his team. She couldn't believe everything was finally coming into play. While posing as some sort of tech consultants, Jai and his colleagues were able to get close to the mark that Annie pinpointed in the audio chatter.

Since he couldn't find anyone that would want the man dead, they'd had to cozy up to the man and his friends, staying close and play unofficial and unknown bodyguards. Apparently, that's what they'd been doing all week, Jai had told Auggie this afternoon.

The wait was killing Annie, though she should be used to it by now. She once spent two weeks in a hotel before her contact finally decided to call her. But that was years ago, and she no longer indulged in being so patient. Waiting and watching had caused her to miss a few things in life.

Jai refused to tell them why he thought tonight would be the night that Hummingbird would be taking place. He instated the old "need to know" axiom, which Annie didn't buy for a minute. She knew it was only because he wanted all the glory (and payment) for himself. Maybe she'd take up his offer for lunch the next time he was in town, she thought. Then she'd be able to give him the dressing down and slap upside the head that was years in coming.

But for now, she'd kiss his butt and allow him to do the work. She may not like his tactics, but Annie had to admit, the man knew how to get the job done.

"_Target is in place. Does he really mean to do this in such a crowded place?"_

"_It's what happened last time, according to our informant."_

That would be me, Annie thought.

"_Crowds panic and rush, allowing assailant to get away while people scream."_

"_Just keep close to the man you're protecting. I'm taking the target down."_

Of course you are, Jai, Annie thought. She still couldn't believe the man's arrogance.

"_Just don't spill much blood. We don't need you arrested, too."_

"_Oh, there'll be no bloodshed. I'm taking him alive. He has no family to worry about his disappearance while we take him on vacation back to the US."_

Annie jerked at this. She assumed their orders would have been to shoot and kill once the man made his move, but if he's coming here, they'd be able to interrogate him, find out what he knew, and most importantly to her, find out if he had orders months ago to take out Eyal Levin.

Auggie's hand came over to cover hers, and she let her excitement tamp down a bit. That'd come later, much later. First up –

"_Excuse me, sir, would you come with me?"_

Jai and his target spoke in fluent Hebrew, and Annie pressed her headphones to her ears to catch every word.

"_No. Go away."_

"_I'd say please, but since you've got three sniper rifles aimed at your head right now, I'd appreciate it if you did so quietly."_

The target then let loose a string of swear words that had Annie blushing.

"_Now, is that polite? I'm being polite. I only ask you to take your hand off the gun in your waistband and follow me. I promise, no harm will come to you."_

'Until he steps foot inside this building," Annie whispered.

A few grunts followed, then silence, and footsteps.

"_The hummingbird has been caged."_

Annie let out a whoop of joy and threw off her headphones. "He did it, Auggie!" she yelled.

"Yes, yes, he did. Guess Jai still has a few moves left."

Her joy and adrenaline had her twirling a few times, her bare feet sliding along the hard floor. She heard Auggie chuckling at her victory dance, and she rounded him. He sat in the office chair, leaned back, his headphones still on his ears. The sight was so like her fantasy she'd let herself think about a few minutes ago, she thought, "Why not?"

She didn't bother telling him what she was going to do, or even asking permission. It's not like he'd say no, and besides, the door was locked, and there were no windows. She made sure their audio connection to Israel was muted and lifted her jeans-clad leg over both of his.

"Annie, what are you –"

"Shh," she said, placing a finger on his lips. She settled on his lap and placed both hands on his shoulders. For a moment or two, she wished he hadn't changed out of his dress shirt and slacks he usually wore. Then again, she'd imagined herself in a skirt, but hey, beggers can't be choosers.

His fitted t-shirt was just as good, though. The dark blue material looked good against his tan skin and dark hair. Too bad it'd have to be peeled off soon.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do this," she said as she slid her hands up his chest, his neck, his jaw. As her fingers slid into his hairline, they took the headphones with them.

Once her arms were completely around him, his hands, which had inched under her own t-shirt, pulled her the rest of the way until she nestled against his chest.

"I thought you were grossed out by others desecrating this room," he whispered against her lips.

"Do you want me to get up?" she asked.

"No. I want you here, now, and forever."

Annie shivered as the words melted into her brain. She tried to finally kiss him, but he held her back a fraction of an inch.

She groaned, "Auggie."

"Just how long have you been wanting to straddle me in my chair?"

"I was here about a week, I think," she said, straining to push her body further against him, since he was holding back on actually kissing her.

"And why didn't you?"

"What, and end up fighting half the staff trying to push me out of the way? No, this is best. This is right."

"I love you, Annie."

And with that, he let go of the grip he had holding her back.

* * *

**A/N Well, whaddya think? Please review.**


	19. Chapter 19

The scene was just too precious to pass up. Annie carefully positioned her cell and snapped off a few pics of Auggie crawling on hands and knees across the grass, Deborah and William straddled on his back yelling "Mush!" Apparently, William remembered his "Uncle Auggie," and as soon as she, Deborah and Auggie arrived at the Campbell house Saturday afternoon, he begged for a "ride."

She checked that the pics came out before sliding the phone back into her pocket. She had an idea that soon they'd all be needing a drink, so she took the full pitcher of lemonade Joan had sat on the table and poured a few tumblers full. A hesitating step sounded behind her, and she turned her head to see Arthur Campbell walking across the deck toward her.

"Hey, Arthur," she greeted, pouring him one, as well.

"Annie," he said with a nod before settling down in the adjoining deck chair. "Thanks."

Annie noticed he reflexively rubbed at his left thigh after he sat down. "How is your leg?"

"Still attached," he quipped. "Which is the important thing. They threatened to amputate, but I refused."

Annie chuckled and wished internally that she were here during that time. She'd often wondered why the DCS Director was out on an op in the first place, but couldn't figure out a way to ask. The only details she sweet-talked out of Auggie was that he took a bullet to the femur that also lacerated the artery. The fact that he could still walk baffled her.

"Joan tells me you and Anderson have filed a C&C report," Arthur said before he took a long drink.

So much for keeping things on the down-low, Annie thought. "Yes, we have. He's wonderful with Deborah, as you can see."

Arthur barked out a laugh. "Last I knew, being good with kids didn't require government-sanctioned paperwork."

With a shake of her head, Annie said, "It doesn't. And you've probably guessed, we're together now. I was angry at him when I came back, for what he did all those years ago. But I never stopped thinking about him."

"Hmm."

He didn't expound on that, and Annie glanced over at him again. Like Auggie, he seemed to only have gotten better-looking over the years. His gray came in at just the right spots, giving him the classic "distinguished" look. And though he was no longer her boss,his presence still made her sit up straighter.

"So I hear Isaac Ibraham is due to arrive in DC Monday," Arthur said offhandedly.

Annie thought for a minute, but the name meant nothing to her. "I'm sorry, but who?"

"The man you helped capture," Arthur said. "Remember?"

"Oh, yes, of course. I never heard his name. Jai wasn't very forthcoming with the details last night," Annie said.

"Ahh, yes, Mr. Wilcox, traveling around the world saving us all. Don't worry, Annie. We'll make sure you're listed as the lead on this. Besides, officially, Jai Wilcox had nothing to do with this," he said with a chuckle. "All he'll receive is a paycheck."

"Yeah, you're right," Annie said, joining in his laughter. At the sound, Auggie's head turned toward her. She'd have to tell him later on. "Has Joan talked to you about who's going to handle the interrogation?"

He didn't answer right away, and Annie tried to keep the pleading out of her counteance, but she couldn't quite keep the hope out of her eyes.

"What are the odds that he recognizes you, Annie?" he asked. "Though you may not know him, he knew Eyal, obviously. He may have followed him for months before –"

"It's okay," Annie interrupted, not really wanting to let herself think about Eyal. Not now. The wave of sadness that had previously overcame her at the mention of his name had since subsided, but she didn't want to risk it now.

"Eyal Levin did the CIA a lot of good over the years, Annie," Arthur said, and Annie was struck by the tone of concern in his voice. "I know you think Mossad and everyone else tried to cover all this up, but there are some people, ones that matter, that have never forgotten."

That did it, Annie thought, as her gaze got misty. A full-on hug of the man was pretty much out of the question, so she reached over and grabbed his hand. "Thank you, Arthur. You don't know how much that means to me."

"You're welcome, Annie."

Then, lest everyone there see the tears dripping off of her lashes, she swiped at both of her eyes with her hands. Her daughter, however, was keenly aware of her moods and caught the movement.

"Ema!" she cried, running across the grass up to her. Annie caught her and lifted her up on her lap. "What's wrong, Ema?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just allergies, you know. They make my eyes water. Sorry to scare you," she said, giving her a hug and a kiss. "Joan made lemonade for everyone. Why don't you take one for yourself and William? I'm sure you guys are thirsty."

"Okay," Deborah said, her fears that her Ema was sad and crying assuaged.

With a somewhat disguised grunt, Arthur hefted himself out of the chair. "You guys are staying for my barbecue, right?"

Without waiting for an answer, he headed back inside. Annie smiled. Even retired, Arthur Campbell still moved and spoke with authority. Auggie came up onto the deck, and Annie's hand immediately went to his to guide him to the now-empty deck chair.

She pressed a glass of lemonade into his hand, and he took a drink before asking, "Allergies, huh?"

"No, of course not," Annie said. "But nothing bad, either."

"Annie, come on."

She did a quick look around to see that the children weren't in hearing distance. They had since abandoned their half-drunk tumblers to play on the large swingset.

"Okay, Auggie. Arthur brought up last night's activities."

"Oh, my God. Was there a hidden camera in that room or something?"

"Auggie!" she admonished, nevertheless blushing at the remembrance of what happened after the mission. "I meant before, you know."

"I know. I just like knowing I can still make you blush," he said with a smirk.

"I call bull. How can you tell I'm blushing?"

His hand sneaked out and cupped her face. "Other than the fact that you pretty much just admitted it, your cheek is warmer than your throat."

With fake indignance, Annie huffed and shook his hand off of her face. "You know something? I think we're going to be one of those perfect couples."

"Okay, why do you say that?" Auggie asked.

"Because there's no way we can lie to one another without the other knowing. How are we supposed to have fights?"

"Hmm, I think you're right. Should we ask Joan and Arthur how they were able to? Give us some pointers?"

"Oh, no."

Both of them began laughing, which they stifled when the door opened and Arthur came out with a plateful of uncooked hamburgers and hot dogs. Annie's mouth began to water. She'd gone totally kosher with Eyal, and they both tried to instill the same beliefs in Deborah, but Annie had thought long about backing off of the traditional Hebrew beliefs. She hated to think that she did it all for Eyal, but so much had changed in her life in the past few months. And she had a feeling he wouldn't mind too much.

"Arthur's going to grill, so I hope you're hungry," Annie said.

"Mm, I've been invited to a couple of their barbecues over the years. You are in for a treat, my love."

* * *

"Ema, would it be okay if Auggie tucked me in tonight?" Deborah asked as Annie pulled her nightgown over her head.

"I think he'd like that, sweetheart," Annie said. "Why don't you go ahead and start brushing your teeth, and I'll go ask him, okay?"

"Okay!" Deborah shouted. She then hopped up on her stool and reached over the sink's vanity for her toothbrush.

Annie left her in the bathroom, hoping she didn't make too much of a mess. She made a mental note to check the sink for gobs of toothpaste and missing toothpaste caps.

Auggie was waiting for her down in the living room, and she wondered if it was too early to ask him of this. It bordered pretty close to the "daddy" routine, and she didn't want to push that thought onto either of them. The three of them as a family was a castle in the sky dream for her, but things like this needed to come organically, and only through the wants of everyone involved.

"Hey, done already?" Auggie asked as she walked into the living room. "I thought you said she took at least an hour from bath to getting her to settle down."

"Yeah, about that," Annie said. "She's had her bath, and she's brushing her teeth right now, but –"

"But what?"

"She asked if you wouldn't mind putting her to bed right now," Annie said quickly. "You don't have to, if you don't want. I know it's a lot to ask, and –"

"I'd love to," Auggie replied. He stood and went past Annie, brushing a kiss on her cheek as he went.

He ran up the stairs and headed straight to the bathroom. Annie said she was brushing her teeth, so he knocked at the door. He wasn't sure where the sudden anxiety was coming from, but it pretty much felt like a flock of butterflies was suddenly loose in his stomach.

"Deobrah?" he asked through the door.

"Almost done!" Deborah shouted back.

A few seconds later, the door opened. ""Hi, Auggie. Are you going to put me to bed?"

"Yes, yes, if that's okay with you?" Auggie asked.

"Okay, come on," she said, taking his hand. Over time, Auggie had taught her how best to walk with him, and she dutifully held his hand tight and walked slowly. "My bedroom's down here," she said.

Auggie loved how gently Deborah always handled him when they walked together. And he didn't dare try to dissuade her, even though by now he had the layout of the house memorized. She opened her door and walked them across the room.

He heard a switch of a lamp, and she pulled on his hand. "My bed's right here."

"Okay," Auggie said. He leaned down until his fingers hit the softness of a comforter, and he pulled it back. "Hop in."

Deborah giggled, and he felt the bed shift and move, so he held the blanket up until she slid underneath.

"You can sit down, if you want," Deborah said.

Auggie sat on the bed. "Do you usually get a bedtime story, or –"

"Sometimes. Want to meet my doll?" she asked.

"Sure."

Deborah moved again, and Auggie felt something pressed into his hands.

"Her name's Leah."

"That's a pretty name," Auggie said, running his fingers over the porcelain face, dress and scarf over long hair.

"My Abba got it for me for my last birthday," Deborah said.

"She's very beautiful," Auggie said, handing it back to the little girl.

* * *

Annie had already washed the dishes, dried them, put them away, and straightened everything that could possibly have been crooked on the lower floor of her house waiting for Auggie to come back down. She couldn't possibly imagine what he and Deborah were talking about for – she glanced at the clock – an hour now.

Not that she didn't trust Deborah or Auggie, but as she thought earlier, things were getting a bit intense with she and Auggie growing ever closer, and what role Deborah thought he played in their lives. She so wanted not to obsess over this, but the entire summer had been a roller coaster of changes, and she almost felt like something big was going to happen soon.

Soon enough, she heard Auggie's step on the stairs, and she settled down on the couch.

"Hey, how'd it go?" she asked as soon as he joined her.

"Enlightening," Auggie said with a chuckle. "I met Leah."

"Ahh, yes," Annie said. "Eyal got that –"

"For her last year, I know. I got the whole story. She's slept with her ever since," Auggie said. "Then we talked about every other item she had in her bedroom."

Annie sighed, then said, "Oh, is that why it took so long?"

"I haven't heard that in a while. What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing, why do you ask that?"

Auggie scooted over and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her back into his chest. "That sigh. It's been years, but if I remember correctly, it means that something's on your mind."

The soothing strength of his embrace calmed Annie, and she slid her arms around his middle. His heartbeat was strong in her ear, and she let the steady rhythm calm her for a few seconds. "Just, a lot of things I've been thinking about," she said.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I understand," Auggie said, his hand idly threading through her hair.

"Maybe I should tell you, just to get it off my chest," Annie said. "I've been thinking about us. The three of us. I'd love so much for this to move forward and everything, but I don't want to just push this situation on Deborah. She's had a lot of change in the past several months, and she deserves some normalcy in her life."

Auggie didn't answer her right away, and Annie let the soft silence go on, knowing she just threw a lot at him. She settled for playing with a button on the front of his shirt.

"I don't think we have to worry about what Deborah thinks," Auggie said after a minute.

"Why do you say that?" Annie asked, pulling back a little to look at his face.

"Because, my love," he said with a smile. "Among all the things we talked about in the last hour, Deborah asked if she should start calling me Daddy now, or should she just keep calling me Auggie."

Annie gasped and pulled back. "She did? What – I'm afraid to ask, but what did you tell her?"

Auggie took one of her hands and kissed it, then pressed it to his chest. "It threw me, too, believe me. I never thought, in having you again, I'd also be gifted with a beautiful, insightful little girl. So, after not breathing for about 30 seconds, I told her as calmly as I could that she could call me whatever she wanted to. So she said she likes the name Auggie, 'cause she never met anyone with that name before."

"Oh, wow," Annie said. "All this time, I thought I was pushing all of this on her, and she's got it all figured out already."

"I know. Kids are surprising and pretty simple and logical in their thinking," Auggie said. "If only we were gifted with such insight, don't you think?"

"Mm," Annie said, cuddling back down onto his chest. "It's not going to be easy, you know."

"Nothing worthwhile ever is."

"She's got a temper. And she's stubborn sometimes."

"So is her mother, yet I still love her."

"Ha ha," Annie said, nudging him in the ribs with her fist. "I just don't want you to think she's always going to be as nice and well-behaved as she has always been around you."

"Annie, why do I get the feeling you're trying to talk me out of joining your family?" Auggie asked.

"Because I want this to last forever, and it won't if you –"

Auggie interrupted her by placing his hand on her jaw and tilting her head up to his. "I should be insulted that you would think I would leave the both of you when times got tough, but I'm not. You're loyal and protective, and I would expect nothing but your extreme devotion to anything you deemed appropriate. I love you, Annie Walker, aka Hannah Levin, aka – what exactly am I supposed to call you, by the way?"

Annie laughed, though her mirth was mixed with tears at his loving words. "Come on, Auggie."

"Okay, okay. But I don't want you to ever think that I'm letting go of you now. As soon as you let me into your new life, I knew it was where I belonged."

Annie couldn't hold back any longer and leaned up to press her lips against his. She couldn't quite believe that life would gift her with two amazing men in her life, but she decided to say to hell with wondering what everybody else thought. Auggie loved her, Deborah loved Auggie, and she loved them both with every fiber of her being.

There was no going back now.

"Auggie, you forgot to leave me a glass of water!"

The little girl's cry from the top of the stairs broke them apart, and Annie sighed. "See what I mean?"

"No matter. You'll still be here when I get back, right?"

"As if I'd ever leave."

* * *

**A/N Yikes! The chapter that wouldn't quit. Think this is the longest so far, but I had to let things flow naturally and didn't want to end it abruptly. I think we're coming almost to the end, as I don't like long, rambling stories that never end. A few more, perhaps? I'm loving writing this and will probably shed a little tear when I get to write "the end." **

**Please review. I know you guys are reading and alerting, but I get a better idea of what's expected and what questions to answer through your reviews. Thanks!**


	20. Chapter 20

Annie stood in the darkened room, her eyes trained intently through the one-way glass at the man on the other side. Her decade of CIA training and experience told her that he was scared, but outwardly brave. His clothes, disheveled and wrinkled, looked as if he'd been wearing them for days, and his short beard stuck out at angles. She didn't know how long he'd been sitting in the interrogation room, but she'd been standing there for 20 minutes.

The door to the hallway opened, emitting a line of light across the floor before it closed. She didn't bother turning around to see who joined her.

"Annie?"

She breathed an inaudible sigh of relief as Auggie stepped in, shutting the door behind him. "Don't even think about making me leave," she said. "You may be able to force me, but I plan on putting up quite a fight."

He didn't answer right away, only walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She knew he was probably trying to calm her down or think of a good argument of why she shouldn't be there. It was exactly what she didn't need right now.

"I went by your office, but you weren't there," he said.

"Why, to put me on some detail to keep me busy?" Annie asked.

"No," Auggie replied with a slight squeeze to her shoulders. "To collect you and bring you here, but it seems you've beat me to it."

Some of the tension left her, and she reached up to place a hand over his. "I assumed I'd be banned," she said.

"Not if I had anything to say about it," he replied. "And guess what? Now I do."

Annie laughed softly. "So, you're saying being involved with the DPD Assistant Director has its perks."

"In this case, yes," he said. "Despite your personal connection, I argued that our Israeli connections are few and far between and we should use all of our assets."

"So logic won out this time," she said. "Good for us." Her eyes went again to the man sitting in the room. He was now rolling an empty water bottle between his hands. If it were up to her, such considerations wouldn't be afforded to this piece of trash.

"Who's doing the interview?" she asked. "Joan, I bet, huh?"

"No. We've called in someone else. You haven't met him yet."

"Is it going to start soon?"

"Yes."

A few seconds later, the outer door opened, and the man jumped at the sound.

* * *

_Note: for all my readers' consideration, the text of this interview will be translated from Hebrew into English._

* * *

"Talk to me, Annie," Auggie whispered in her ear. "Tell me what they're saying."

"You told Deborah you could speak Hebrew," she replied back.

"Just some phrases."

Annie smiled, but did as she was asked.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ibraham. My name is Bradley."

"Who are you? What do you want of me? Why was I taken out of my country?"

"Ahh, and here I thought you'd give me the silent treatment. As I said before, I'm Bradley. You know why you are here."

"My rights are –"

Bradley laughed as he sat down across the table and dropped his folder in front of him. "Rights? Terrorists have no rights as soon as they pick up a firearm. Didn't your boss tell you that?"

"I am no terrorist."

Annie's head tilted a bit at the sudden nervousness that broke through their prisoner at the word "terrorist." If anything, she thought, he knew where he was, and he knew the United States' stance on terrorism.

"So you just like taking potshots at random people without any kind of agenda? Sounds like a waste of time to me."

"I shoot no one."

"I know. We got to you first. Ever wonder why? You've had a lot of time to think now. Tell me, Isaac. How did we know what you were going to do? If you answer correctly, you might win a prize."

Annie grew more wondrous at this Bradley's technique. "Auggie, what is he doing?"

"I know, I know. He's a bit unorthodox, but he's done this for a while. By the way, Bradley's not his real name," Auggie said.

Annie figured that much. By his features and jet black hair, he almost resembled Isaac Ibraham. "Is he Mossad?" Annie asked.

"No, he's with us," Auggie said. "What, did you think you were the only Mediterranean asset we had?"

"Of course not. I just assumed I'd meet him by now."

Auggie's hands shifted off of her shoulders, and he came to stand beside her. "Maybe after."

Annie nodded, then concentrated on what was being said on the other side of the glass. So far, Isaac hadn't responded to Bradley's offer.

"Tick-Tock, Mr. Ibraham."

"I don't know."

"Fine. Let me give you a hint. Just one word, mind. Hummingbird."

Isaac's breath inhaled and stayed there, and Annie wondered how long it would take for the man's irises to undilate. But, she thought, they had him. Come on, man, she silently begged him. Start talking.

"I know nothing. He told me who to shoot, and that I would be paid well. That is all I know. You've wasted your time."

"Ahh, now we're getting somewhere. Who, Isaac? Who told you to shoot that defenseless man? And in the back, too? Where's the honor in that?"

"Honor!" Isaac spit out. "You Americans know nothing of honor. You should be shot down where you stand, all of you!"

He then began chanting and mixing in several swear words that widened Annie's eyes. She hadn't heard some of those words in years.

"Annie? Come on, you can't stop now. What's he saying?" Auggie pressed.

"I'm too much of a lady to repeat most of what he's saying," Annie admitted. "Mostly, he's chanting a prayer and mixing in curses."

"Isaac, Isaac, calm down," Bradley said. "No need for hate, not here. You forgot what I've said before. I know you're not going to turn into a talking encyclopedia without any incentive."

Isaac stopped vocalizing and fixed Bradley with a distrustful gaze. "Why should I believe you? What could you possibly give me that I would want?" he spat.

Bradley spun the folder he was looking at around and pushed it across the table. "I assume you can read, right? By that look, I assume yes. These are two directives. I will sign only one before I leave here. It's up to you as to which one it will be."

He didn't elaborate what was on the papers, and Isaac bent over the papers, reading them silently. Annie couldn't bear the silence and suspense. "What happening, Auggie?" she asked.

"Don't know. Joan's the one who put all this together with Bradley."

After another minute, Isaac looked up from the pages. "Are you insane? I either go to this Gitmo for the rest of my life, or I work for you?"

Auggie felt Annie jerk at this information, and he took a step closer to place a hand over hers. Though Joan didn't give him details, he knew what those papers would probably offer. No matter their misdeeds, the CIA would much rather have an enemy on their side rather than lock him up, and with him, any information he might have. It sucked sometimes, but it made sense in the long run.

"Not exactly. We'll let you go back to your country, but you will keep in touch with us. We'll know where you are at all times, of course. I see you have no family, but surely you'd like a better house for yourself, maybe? Some new clothes? Technology?"

"You want me to become a traitor. To my own people."

"Your own people want to kill your own people. That was not an American you were aiming at a few days ago, Isaac. And it was not an American you shot and killed several months ago."

Annie's breath sucked in at those words, and she swore her heart stopped for a few seconds. What's more, she noticed that Isaac Ibraham did not deny Bradley's words. If anything, his countenance dropped, as if he knew he were caught, well and truly. Her hand clenched into Auggie's, and she hoped she wasn't leaving permanent marks in his fingers.

"If anything, you should be on a one-way flight to Guantanamo Bay for that one act alone, which I see you're not defending. You have to admit, Isaac, what I'm offering here is more than generous."

The seconds ticked by, and Bradley waited patiently as Isaac thought. Those same seconds seemed an hour to Annie, as she tried to process what was going on in front of her. The full brunt of Isaac's choice came to her, however, as the man pointed to one of the papers, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Wise choice, Isaac. You'll be back in your homeland within the week."

"N -!" Annie's loud protest and what probably would have been banging on the one-way glass was stifled as Auggie came behind her and grabbed – one hand over her mouth and the other across her chest, holding her arms in place. She struggled with the pain and anguish that a widow who'd just learned her husband's killer was being let go would have.

But Auggie knew if the two men knew she was watching, it would have blown the whole deal. He didn't want to hurt Annie, but he also knew he had to keep her quiet. He stepped back, taking her with him, until his back hit the wall.

"Shh, Annie, shh."

Her screams were muffled into his hand, and he continued shushing her and holding her close to him. "Shh, my love. Shh. Shh."

No! Annie's mind screamed, even as her voice was being muffled by Auggie's large hand. No, it's not fair! Her Eyal, her daughter's father was taken by a man six feet away from her, and he was being set free! No!

"Shh, Annie," Auggie continued to whisper into her ear. "We'll be keeping a close eye on him, using him for information. He's worth more to us alive than dead. You know that, Annie. You know that."

Annie's rage began to subside as her grief – the months-old grief she had buried inside of her let go. Sobs tore out of her throat, and she would have crumbled to the ground had Auggie not held tight to her.

Noting the subtle change in her body tension, Auggie slowly turned her around and held her against his chest. Her cries and sobs were now being muffled by his suit jacket, and her arms worked their way up until they clung onto his lapels. Her grief, though understandable, tore at him, and though he knew that what Bradley had done was the right thing, a part of him agreed with Annie. Isaac Ibraham deserved nothing but what he'd done to Eyal Levin.

As Annie's sobs worked down to a steady stream, Auggie could once again hear what was going on in the outer room. Chairs were scraping, and he heard a door open and shut. Then silence.

"Annie?" he asked.

"Why, Auggie?" she answered, her voice laden with tears. "Why?"

"You know why, but I know it doesn't make it hurt any less."

"What am I going to tell Deborah?" she asked.

"What you've always told her. Her father was a brave soldier, and though he's gone now, she will always have people around her that love her."

A fresh sob racked her shoulders, and Auggie loosened his tight grip to embrace her, running his hand through her long hair soothingly. Annie's pain had always struck deep at him, and he pulled every ounce of reserve strength he had to be her rock. Ever since they met those ten long years ago, she'd always turned to him for comfort, and he'd be damned if he let her down now.

After another minute, Annie felt the majority of her grief slide away as she ran out of tears. She was surprised she had any left, given how much she'd mourned Eyal the first couple of weeks. Auggie no longer had a death grip on her, and she leaned back from him a few inches. His suit jacket was damp with her tears, and she pulled the handkerchief from his breast pocket to dab at the fabric.

"I guess I should get back to my desk now," she said, her voice hollow.

"You can take the rest of the day off, if you want," Auggie offered.

Annie shook her head before folding the handkerchief and placing it back in his pocket. She looked up at his face and saw such devotion there, such love and concern that she couldn't resist leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his lips.

"I need to keep my mind occupied, Auggie. If I go home –"

At that moment, the door to the hallway opened, and Annie took a step away from Auggie, though he kept a hand on her arm.

"Ahh," Bradley said as he walked in. "I was wondering who my audience was. I could feel your eyes boring through the back of my head."

Annie swallowed to clear the rest of the tears from her voice, though she knew her eyes were probably bloodshot, and her cheeks mottled red from her crying spate.

"Hello," she said, extending her hand. "I'm –"

"I know who you are, Hannah Levin," Bradley said, reaching forward to take her hand in both of his. "I'd hoped to be able to talk to you later about this, but I see now that you heard the whole thing."

Annie nodded tightly.

Bradley did not let go of her hand and looked directly into her eyes. "I knew Eyal, Hannah. Though you and I have never met, he spoke of you often and quite highly. You were his rose in the desert."

Tears threatened again, and Annie smiled with gratitude up to him. "Thank you."

"It may not have seemed like it, but I was really hoping Isaac would've taken the other choice I'd offered," he said. "Could you imagine what would've happened to him when his fellow Israeli brethren interred there found out he was killing their own?"

Annie nodded. She knew. Actually, she'd hoped for it. "That's fine," she said. "He may turn out to be a worthwhile asset."

The surprise on Bradley's face was noticeable, and he grab her hand a final shake as he turned to Auggie. "Assistant Director, I'll be filing all this paperwork with Joan. Do you require anything else?"

"No, that'll be all for now," Auggie said with a nod. "Good work in there."

"Thank you, sir," he said before taking his leave.

"So, are you sure you don't want to get out of here?" Auggie asked once they were alone again. "I could swing it with Joan, take you back home."

"What, and let everyone know I'm so weak that I need to go home and cry over this?" Annie asked, her jaw raising in defiance. "I'm upset, Auggie. I've always been upset, and I probably will always be upset. But I refuse to allow it to rule me."

At no other time in his life did he feel the want and need to pull somebody into his arms and kiss the life out of them than Auggie did at that moment. He settled for grasping her upper arms and kissing her once, hard and intense. When he pulled back, he growled, "I love you, Annie."

"Damn," Annie breathed as she blinked a few times to pull her back into the present. "Remind me to pay you back for that tonight."

"I doubt if you'll need reminding, but if you insist," he said, sliding his hand down to her elbow. "Let's get back to work."

* * *

**A/N So, what do you think? Angry at me? I'd thought of giving Annie a gun and letting her take him out herself, but we all know this is probably what would happen in the real world.**

**Now, as for what's up next, nearly every review begged for a wedding scene. Never did one before, never been married, and never attended a wedding. Know what that means? I get to make up whatever I want. Get ready for some shenanigans.**

**The heavy stuff is pretty much done for now, so I'd say a handful more chapters to round this out.**

**Love you all for your reviews and alerts and favorites. Every e-mail notification puts another smile on my face.**

**Please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

A soft knock accompanied Auggie's voice as he let himself into Annie's office. Over the past couple of weeks, he'd been making a habit of dropping in to see her a couple of times a day. She loved and almost craved the extra attention, especially now, since Isaac Ibraham was sent back to his homeland. But his personal visits did cut down on the occasional flirty messages he'd send her when they were both in-office.

Annie waited for the door to close before standing and greeting him properly with a lingering kiss. "You know, if you keep coming in here, people will talk."

"Let them," Auggie said, his face nuzzling into her hand as her thumb wiped away evidence of her lipstick. "You're my main priority here now."

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Annie replied. "But I don't want to ruffle feathers here. I'm still essentially the newbie, and getting preferential treatment by the assistant director may cause some bad blood."

Auggie growled low in his throat his disagreement, but he nodded and took a step back, effectively releasing him from her touch. What he wouldn't give to be able to go back in time and retract that in-house relationship directive he'd penned and distributed. At the time, his intention was to save Annie from the amorous come-ons of the other men in the office, but had he known they'd be in this situation now, he would have held back.

"Fine," he said, not even believing himself as he said it. "We're still on for lunch, though, right? Or are you talking complete disengagement here?"

He heard her sigh, and then she said, "I don't know. Is there any other couple precedent that we could follow?"

Auggie shrugged. "I've tried to keep my head out of others' relationships. As long as they kept it out of the building, I turned a blind eye. So to speak."

That small joke reminded Annie of the Auggie of old, and she smiled with remembrance. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"I know, and I also know that you love it," he said. They were bordering now on a flirty banter, and he summoned up a few images in his head of mundane things to clear his heightening libido. "What were you doing when I came in? You know, just to make it appear that I'm here for business."

Annie glanced back to her computer's screen and frowned. "Umm, well –"

That few seconds of hesitation caused Auggie's eyebrows to rise. "It can't be anything too bad. Our network blocks pornography sites."

"Auggie!" she shouted. "I wouldn't. But I wasn't doing anything work-related, either."

"Now I'm intrigued," Auggie said, taking a seat in her spare chair.

He'd crossed his legs, one ankle on the other knee, and his fingers were steepled in front of him, as if he planned on being there for a while, so Annie sat back in her chair and turned back to her computer screen. "If you have to know, I've been researching local weather patterns."

"Annie, you know I can easily pull up your computer history," he teased. "There's no need to lie."

"I'm not lying, wise guy. Deborah's been dying to see snow, and since it's October –"

"Ahh, that makes sense," he replied. "We've gotten the odd nor'easter this early, but it's a once-a-decade phenomenon, you know."

Annie remembered, and she'd been poring over every weather forecast she could find all morning. The temperature was dropping, but it was nowhere near close to what would be needed for snowfall, or even some flurries. "I'd love to have a mild winter, myself, but just a few flurries would assuage her, at least."

"Maybe we could take her somewhere that has snow," Auggie offered, shifting in his chair until his elbows landed on his knees.

Turning slowly in her chair, Annie looked him over. "We?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know you've been here less than six months, but surely you've got some vacation time saved up, right? I know I do, and –"

"Wait, wait, Auggie. Do you really want to go on vacation? With me and Deborah? Together?"

The tone of her voice and his words repeated back to him made Auggie realize that he had, indeed, been vacation-planning for them all. And he presumed she wouldn't say no to such a proposition.

"Oh, is it too soon? I don't want to push any further than you're willing to go, but –"

He let his voice trail off, lest he give voice to any other thoughts he'd had in his head. One such one was a fantasy that he'd been building over the past month had them getting married and raising Deborah together, living in her house. He wouldn't presume to have her move, 'cause both her and Deborah loved the place. Recently, his musings had him picking out the wedding rings, and how large a diamond Annie would want. That is, if she wanted a diamond. Perhaps something unconventional, like an emerald or sapphire.

"No, that sounds wonderful, actually," Annie said. "But I don't want to just yank Deborah out of school. Maybe when she's on break?" she offered.

Her voice broke him from the image he had in his head of getting down on one knee, and where he'd pick to propose, and he said quickly, "Sounds great." His voice sounded off, a tad too bright, and he knew she'd catch on, so he continued talking. "I really should get back to my office in case Joan needs me. We're definitely on for lunch, okay? You've been here a few months. You can tell people we knew each other years ago and are catching up."

He seemed to be talking faster, and Annie grew slightly suspicious of his erratic movements as he stood, gave her a quick kiss and left. What was that all about, she thought. Was he upset when she turned down his vacation proposal? As idyllic as it sounded, it just wasn't feasible right now, couldn't he see that? Maybe she could get him to understand come lunchtime.

Which was two hours away, she saw with a glance at the time. She resignedly clicked out of her web browser and settled into her workload for the day.

* * *

"Joan, you busy?" Auggie asked, tucking his head inside her door. He hadn't even bothered to return to his own office after leaving Annie's. As short as their conversatio had been, it set into motion so many thoughts and ideas in his head, he knew anything he tried to work on wouldn't have his full attention.

"Depends. Is it business or personal?"

"Personal," he said, stepping inside.

"Then, please, come in," she said, her voice sounding a bit more resigned than usual.

"Are you sure? If you're busy –"

"Auggie, get in here, and shut the door," Joan said. "I need something to get my mind off this latest mission. Thinking of something else usually helps."

"Oh, okay," Auggie said, taking a seat in the chair across from her desk. "It's about Annie and me."

"I assumed so. What's the matter, trouble in paradise?" she quipped.

"Very funny. It's been great, fine. It tok her a while to come to terms with what happened with Ibraham, but I've tried to be there for her."

"Good for you," Joan said. "So what's the problem?"

Auggie took a deep breath. "I want to propose."

"Jesus, Auggie," Joan whispered. "Are you sure? Eyal's only been gone for five months."

"I know," Auggie said, then realizing it came out a might harsher than he intended, he repeated, "I know. But things have been going so well, I don't want to take all this goodness for granted, and then, what if something happens? What if she changes her mind? I can't stand to lose her twice now, Joan."

"You are in love with her," Joan said quietly.

"Yes, I am. I think I always have been. It's like this great truth has been presented to me, and I don't want to screw it up."

"You won't," she said. "But you will if you push this too fast. Have you bought the ring yet?"

"No, but I've been thinking –"

"Don't. Let it go for now, Auggie."

He wanted to protest, tell her that it wasn't too soon, and he was sure Annie was ready, but her chair scraped, and he heard her walk around her desk to him.

"Auggie, I've known you for a long time now. Anything you decide is worth your time, you devote yourself to it fully until it's done and completed to your satisfaction. It's why I hired you and why I allowed you back into this department five years ago. You're one of the best employees I've ever had."

"Thanks."

"I'm not finished," Joan said. "And you may not want to thank me just yet. All these qualities make you a good worker, but if you apply the same techniques to your love life, you're going to regret it."

The words were hard, and Auggie grit his teeth to say the first words that popped into his head. After a few shallow breaths, he finally said, "I don't think you understand, Joan."

"Listen, Auggie. You and Annie know each other inside and out, I know you do. But marriage is about compromise and communication and trust. Lord knows how many hours of couples counseling Arthur and I had to go through before that was ingrained into us. I don't want you and Annie to have the same troubles we had."

She was being so open to him, Auggie was momentarily shocked at her words. Especially how true they rang in his head. "You're right, of course. I've been selfish, haven't I?"

"No, you've been honest with yourself, probably for the first time in your life. Don't scare her away again, Auggie. I'm not sure she'd come back to us a second time."

* * *

**A/N Shorter than normal, I know, and truthfully, I'm not sure where this chapter came from. Guess Miss Muse knew best as to what should come next and pretty much said, "forget the summary, just start writing." Which I did, and the idea for trick-or-treating went out the window. I like how this turned out, though, as it works well with how I'm planning on rounding up this tale.**

**Thanks for reading, and please review. Love hearing from you.**


	22. Chapter 22

Auggie bounded up the front walkway to Annie's house. They'd been spending pretty much every weekend together for a month now, and she'd called a little while ago to ask when he planned on coming over. He was out of his apartment five minutes later.

His finger had barely pressed her doorbell when the the door swished open. "Hey, sweetheart. Can't wait to see me, huh? I was planning on coming by for lunch, but –"

His words were cut off by her hand grabbing his and yanking him into the house. "We've got all weekend, Annie. I haven't heard thundering feet, so I take it Deborah's out of the house?"

"Yeah, yeah, Danielle's treating her to a girls spa day with Katia and Chloe, so –"

Auggie paused in his steps and pulled on her hand, jerking her back to him. "So we have the place to ourselves?" he asked, inhaling her scent as her hair swung over her shoulder. He buried his face in it and wrapped his arms around her back. They hadn't had very much completely free time, and the idea of spending hours together alone sent his pulse racing.

"Auggie," she whispered.

"Yes, my love, whatever you want," he said.

"Just, hold on for a minute, okay?"

Though still breathy, those words stopped his nuzzling journey up the column of her throat. He'd then noticed that, though her hands were on him, they weren't moving, nor was she attempting to kiss him back.

He pulled back a few inches, a sinking feeling growing in his chest. "Is something wrong?"

"Just, come with me, okay?" she said.

She led him into the living room and guided him to the couch, where he sat. She walked away and then came back, and he heard a rustle of paper.

"Annie, you're starting to scare me."

"I got this in the mail today."

"Okay."

"Just, let me read it to you, okay?"

"_To the Attention of: Anne Catherine Walker-Levin._

_Please find enclosed a copy of the Last Will and Testament of August Derek Anderson. Up until three years ago, such proprietary details would not be made public until the need arose to probate the will. Due to current federal guidelines, the beneficiaries must be notified once they are named and the paperwork notarized. Though somewhat controversial, we find that doing so cuts down on attempting to find named beneficiaries years, sometimes decades, later._

_If you have any questions regarding this, please don't hesitate to contact us."_

She didn't say anything else, and Auggie felt slightly mortified. "I didn't realize they'd send you a copy. Are you mad that I didn't warn you first? I didn't think it'd make much of a difference, 'cause I plan on sticking around for a while."

He smiled and tried to reach over to her, but she slid out of his grasp.

"Okay, apparently that wasn't the right thing to say."

"No, it wasn't, Auggie. What I want you to say – what I need you to explain to me is why."

"Why?" he repeated.

"Yes, why you've changed your will and leaving everything to me."

"Okay," he said slowly, still not understanding her upset, but he decided to keep talking. "I first made a will before I left for Afghanistan, and my former beneficiaries were my parents. It needed updated anyway, and since we're together, it made sense to include you and Deborah."

The silence stretched between them, and his nerves started to get a hold of him. Suddenly, Joan's words echoed in his head again, and he wondered if he'd pushed too hard, too fast. Surely not. It was just a piece of paper, and really, not something she should have known about.

"It's just, we've only really been together for a couple of months, Auggie. Don't you think this is pushing things a little?"

"No, not really," Auggie said truthfully. "But obviously you do, or we would be kissing now instead of arguing."

He heard her sigh, and it immediately sunk any thought that they'd be enjoying a few hours alone today. He leaned back on the couch and ran his hands over his face.

Ever since Annie had opened the thick envelope that morning, her mind had been racing as to what it meant, what he meant, and what all was happening. It didn't help that Deborah was running around, hyped up on the idea of having a "beauty day" with her aunt and cousins.

She couldn't help but think that, six months ago, she was married to Eyal and living in Israel with her daughter. When she'd come back to the states, she'd had no idea that, by Thanksgiving, she'd be in love with someone else. Especially when that someone was making life plans that included her and her family.

The last thing she wanted to do now was push Auggie away, but she couldn't quite understand this. He looked almost upset now, afraid. Of what, she thought. Things had been going perfectly fine between the two of them. "Auggie, talk to me. What's going on? Why are you pushing so hard?"

"I haven't!"

Annie picked up the papers from his lawyer and placed them in his lap.

"Okay, okay, maybe a little."

"I'm not going anywhere, Auggie. I thought things were fine between us."

"They are," he said, placing the papers on the table in front of them.

She grabbed up his hands and held them between them on the couch. "Auggie, listen. Things have gone so fast with us. I know, it's been months, but half of that, I was angry with you, and the other half, I've felt sad and almost guilty 'cause sometimes I think I'm cheating on Eyal."

His hands jerked in hers, but she held fast. "No, listen. I think that's what's going on here. We need to talk, really talk. I hate the idea of a couples counselor, but –"

"No," Auggie said.

"I know, we couldn't be forthcoming, no matter what," Annie said. "So, do you think we could do this ourselves? Just, talk things through before we start putting each other's names on things?"

"I think so."

"Same here. I want to. I can't lose you, Auggie. You keep me grounded, make me feel safe, you always have."

"You make me feel alive again," Auggie admitted.

Annie smiled. "Do I? I like that."

"It's true," Auggie said, rubbing his fingers across the smooth skin of her palm. "And you're right, as always. There's too much riding on all of this."

Relief poured through Annie, and she leaned forward to press a kiss against his lips. He immediately responded, and though she yearned to take what he was offering, she pulled back with a groan.

"I think we should start now."

Auggie took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."

Knowing it'd be close to impossible to have a meaningful conversation sitting next to him, Annie stood and sat in the armchair, a low table between them.

"Is that necessary?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes. Now, get to talking."

Auggie blinked in confusion, then smiled. Maybe this was a good idea, he thought. She wanted the truth? No time like the present to lay it all on the line.

"When I first met you, my first thought was, hey, a new girl in the office. I'll have her in my bed by the end of the week."

He paused for dramatic effect here, but she said nothing. He didn't even hear a sudden intake of breath. "Then we got to talking. And working together. You, Annie Walker, were an enigma. Brave, smart, compassionate. I'd never met anyone like you before in my life."

He so wanted to be near her as he spoke, but he continued talking. "You brought something out in me, Annie. I'd never set foot in the field after I got back from the desert, but two days after I met you –"

"I was dragging you barefoot through a morgue."

Auggie laughed with the memory. "Yeah, that, but all the other times, too. That's what I meant by you make me feel alive again. I felt needed, useful again."

She didn't respond, and Auggie felt almost raw with the confession, so he said, "Your turn."

"I'm not sure I can compete with that, Auggie. You already know pretty much everything about me, but since you were so forthcoming –"

Auggie tilted his head at her. "Come on, Annie. I fed your ego, surely you could reciprocate."

"I have no intention of feeding your ego."

"Excuse me?"

Annie leaned forward, her hands clasped between her knees. "You want the truth? Yeah, I was attracted to you ."

"I hear a 'but' in there."

"But so was every single woman in the building. And every single woman in the bar. And, as I saw later, every single sleazy reporter who was spreading lies about our boss."

Auggie's mouth dropped open, and he didn't even have to try to look embarrassed, as his cheeks reddened automatically.

"I never called you on it. I figure, to each his own, but I also refused to be another notch on your bedpost."

"Jesus, Annie," Auggie said.

"We agreed to tell the truth. Has anything I said been untrue?"

"I know we agreed to tell the truth, but it wouldn't have been like that."

"How was I supposed to know?" she asked. "So I held back, but I couldn't help falling for you, despite all that."

"We so should have had this conversation a decade ago," Auggie said.

"We're having it now. And since we don't have a couple of weeks to go through the past ten years and upsetting each other even more, how about we fast forward to this summer?"

Auggie nodded his agreement. They'd already argued and apologized about everything. "I almost got fired when I found out you were back."

"What?"

"I stormed into Joan's office and demanded to know why no one told me where you were, what you were doing."

Annie laughed. "And she didn't fire you?"

"No, she told me then, and a couple times since, that if I wanted to be any part of your life now, I had to back off."

"And you respond by changing your will," Annie teased.

"That's not all I did," Auggie said half under his breath, but her ears caught it.

"What? Auggie, what else have you done?"

He didn't answer right away, and Annie had to make herself stay seated, though she wanted to grab him by the shoulders and make him talk. "Come on, Auggie. Talk to me."

"Promise you won't kick me out?" he said.

"We're only talking here."

And so, with proverbial fingers crossed and a silent prayer sent up to every deity he could think of at the moment, Auggie said, "Just know that I'd been planning on waiting a few months, maybe even next year, but I'd been looking at engagement rings."

Then he waited, expecting to hear a gasp, a scream, some swearing. But dead silence filled the room, and he closed his eyes in defeat. Joan was right. He had pushed too far, too fast, and if he didn't start backtracking soon, he'd risk losing her forever.

"You don't have to say anything right now. Like I said, I've only been thinking about it. The will, that was just some paperwork that needed updating. I haven't done anything else that permanent, and really, if you want, I'll rewrite it. We'll go back to dating and taking Deborah out on field trips, and maybe a year or two from now, if things are still good between us, we can –"

He wasn't sure how he didn't hear her, but he was suddenly enveloped by her scent, and then her arms as she dropped on the couch next to him and embraced him. He didn't waste one more second talking or wondering. His arms enveloped her body in relief that she was holding him and not kicking him out in righteous indignation.

When her face brushed against his, he felt a dampness on her cheeks, and he pulled back. "Hey, what's this?"

Annie sniffed and smiled as his thumbs wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "You really think you can propose to a girl and not expect an emotional response?"

"But I thought you said –"

"I know, and I did, but there's a difference between naming me in your will and asking me to share your life," Annie said.

"I only said I was looking at engagement rings," Auggie corrected.

"Don't tease me now, Auggie," Annie said, framing his face with her hands. "We've got a lot more to talk about, but I've got a feeling we're pretty much on the same page now."

"So you're not kicking me out?" he asked, wiping the last of her tears off her cheek.

In lieu of an answer, Annie raised herself off the couch, keeping hold of his face in her hands. She took half a step to the side and re-settled onto his lap, either leg on the side of his until she completely straddled him. "Does that answer your question?"

* * *

**A/N This was another one of those "not where that came from" chapters, as I just wanted them to have a heart-to-heart talk, cool Auggie down, and yet you see what's happened. yeesh.**

**I'm thinking a couple more chapters to give these two a proper happily ever after. Who's with me?**

**Please review.**


	23. Chapter 23

A soft spring wind blew through the window, fluttering the curtains and causing Annie to grab at her bunch of flowers lest they blew away. Deborah had insisted on making them herself, and Annie had to smile at the little girl's ingenuity. Somehow, she'd also inherited Danielle's flair for artistry, as resembled by the group of daffodils and dandelions. Never before had Annie thought a bunch of weeds would look beautiful.

She looked back into her full-length mirror, astounded by what she saw. Such a change from nearly six years ago when she'd waited for her wedding day to begin. Then it'd be structured and in accordance with Eyal's beliefs. That wedding was for Hannah Levin. This one was for Annie Walker.

It was so low key, a passing stranger wouldn't be able to tell that a marriage of two souls was taking place. Though they had over six months to plan, Annie and Auggie refused everyone's advice to have a big to-do and go all-out. Auggie's mom and Danielle were the hardest to get over this idea. A wedding without a church, or proper reception, or matching bridesmaids and grooms?

Yep, Annie thought. That's exactly what they decided on. They were happiest with their closest friends and felt no need to spend money on proving to the world that they loved each other. A minister and a wedding license served as the only leftovers from a proper wedding. Annie chose her own dress – a soft pink flowing one. Deborah said she looked like a princess, and once Annie put a small tiara on her gathered now-blonde hair on top of her head, she was.

Not to be outdone, Deborah was in a similar dress and tiara. Annie had yet to see what Auggie chose to wear. She said she wanted to be surprised, but secretly she was hoping for a tuxedo. A man as handsome as August Anderson wearing formal wear just got her skin tingling with anticipation. In exchange for that surprise, Auggie also refused to tell her where they were going for the honeymoon. Just a few days away was all they could manage, given work and school, but he still kept the plans a secret.

The rest of the party consisted of Joan, Arthur and William, Danielle, Chloe and Katia, Auggie's parents and brothers, and Stu from work. These were the people that knew of Annie and Auggie from a decade ago and could truly appreciate what they were about to witness.

A soft knock at her bedroom door pulled Annie from her musings, and she said, "Come in."

"Ema, Aunt Dani said to come get you," Deborah said, walking in.

"Okay," Annie said, her voice hitching slightly. "How does Auggie look?"

Deborah giggled, her small hands coming up to her face. "Daddy told me not to tell you."

Annie blinked at the little girl's words. She'd called Auggie by his first name all this time, but – "Honey, did you just call Auggie daddy?"

"Yes, is that okay? He said I could call him whatever I wanted to."

"It's wonderful, sweetheart. I was just wondering why you changed your mind."

Deborah came up to Annie, who obliged by lifting the girl up to her hip. Soon she'd be too big to do so, but Annie didn't mind the weight.

"All the other kids have daddys, and I miss Abba so much sometimes, I want Auggie to be my Daddy. Is that okay?"

Annie pressed a loving kiss to the girl's forehead and held her tight. "It's more than okay, sweetheart. Auggie loves you very much, and I know that your Abba would be very happy to know that someone's here to take care of you."

They stayed in that embrace for a couple of minutes, mother and daughter taking each other's past heartache and sadness. Annie knew this day served as another starting over, a recrudescence from the past nine years. Hopefully, it'd be the last.

She heard their names being called from downstairs, so she let the girl down and smoothed both of their dresses. Grabbing up her bouquet, she fixed the ribbons so they flowed down her hands. "Let's go get married."

* * *

Though the sun beat down weakly upon them that late spring morning, Auggie was near a sweat as he stood on the grass, waiting for Annie. As per their wishes, he was alone with no best man, no groomsmen making up a "party."

If anything, they wanted to just move in together, go to a justice of the peace and sign a formal document. But Annie pointed out that Deborah would probably want to dress up, and they should do it in front of their closest friends and family just to show how in love they were. So here he was, standing in her backyard, the breeze blowing through the trees, and the dozen or so people taking seats in the gathered chairs.

His suit was probably more over the top than Annie expected, but he wanted to look good for her, no matter what. Deborah let him in on what she was wearing – her logic being that he couldn't see her walk down the aisle. And, as the whispers began, and the click of a few cameras sounded in his ears, he knew it was starting.

He turned towards where he knew they were coming and in his mind's eye conjured up the image of Annie in a pale pink floor-length gauzy dress, her blonde hair half up and curled with a simple tiara crowning her.

She'd be walking down the aisle with Deborah at her side, holding her hand. Deborah's bouquets of flowers in each of their hands. Arthur had offered to "give Annie away," as both of her parents had passed away a while ago, but Annie said no, that Deborah would be the one that brought them together.

Auggie found nothing wrong with that. He knew as soon as he'd found out last summer that, if he wanted to be a part of Annie's life again, he'd be accepting the role as a stepfather, as well. It never occurred to him not to.

Their footsteps through the grass came closer, and soon he felt a small hand grab his.

"Here's Ema's hand, Daddy," Deborah said, placing his hand on the one she held with the other.

Instead of accepting Annie's hand, Auggie froze at what Deborah called him and immediately dropped down to one knee. "Deborah?"

"Can I call you Daddy? Ema said it was okay," Deborah whispered.

Auggie grabbed her up in his arms and squeezed, fighting hard to hold back the tears that leapt into his eyes. He'd been emotional all day with anticipation and did a good job at holding himself together, but one word by this little bundle of sunshine had brought him to his knees.

"Auggie?"

He heard Annie's voice above him, and he swallowed hard to quell his tears. He then stood back up, never letting go of Deborah, and her legs automatically swung around his waist. He settled her over to the side and held his free hand out to Annie.

"Do you mind?" he asked. "After all, this affects all three of us."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Annie replied, stepping to his side and wrapping an arm around the both of them. "Sir, do you mind?"

"Not at all," the minister said with a chuckle. "I understood this to be an out of the ordinary affair from the beginning, and I would be honored to bring the three of you together."

The assembled crowd behind them, once it became evident that Auggie wasn't letting Deborah go to stand by the side as per normal, they began ahhing and cooing, and Auggie was certain he heard a sob or two. That'd probably be his mother, he thought. Once she found out that he was getting married, and she wouldn't have to wait for a granddaughter, the woman had been the doting grandmother and ecstatic.

The minister began speaking, and Auggie's attention went back to the two ladies by his side – well, one by his side, the other cuddled into his chest. It took a while for him to get here, but it was well worth the wait.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Anne and August in marriage, and Deborah in family."

Auggie smiled at the man's brilliant ad lib and squeezed Deborah tighter to him.

"Who is it that brings this woman to this man?"

Without skipping a beat, Deborah shouted out, "I do!"

"Anne and August and Deborah, I would ask that you all remember to treat yourselves and each other with love and respect, and remind each other often what brought you together today," the minister continued.

Auggie felt Annie's hand squeeze onto his, and he gave a squeeze back.

"Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage - as they do to every relationship at one time or another - focus on what still seems right between the three of you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if all of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.

"Can we have the rings?"

Deborah had the wedding rings tied in a ribbon around her wrist, and Annie loosened them, keeping one for herself and placing the other in Auggie's hand.

He shifted the ring around and held it in place while Annie's left hand slid it into place, and he said, "I, August, take you, Annie, to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, for as long as we both shall live."

As his right arm was being used holding onto Deborah, he held his left out for Annie to take and recite her vows as he felt the smooth coldness of the ring sliding into his third finger.

"I, Anne, take you, August, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow for as long as we both shall live."

Their newly ringed fingers clasped each other as they turned back to the minister.

"Anne, August and Deborah, as the three of you have agreed to live together in matrimony and as a family, have promised your love to one another by these vows, the joining of your hands and the giving of the rings, I now declare you Husband, Wife and Daughter. Congratulations, you may kiss the bride."

Auggie raised his left hand up to Annie's face, ready to seal their lifelong bargain. Her lips brushed against his, and he smiled into the kiss as he felt Deborah kiss his cheek, then lean over and kiss Annie's kiss, as well.

The overly sweet gesture was lost on no one in attendance, and soon everyone was oohing and awwing and clapping. Auggie clasped both of his girls to him and gave Deborah a kiss on the cheek in return.

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you – The Anderson family!" the minister fairly shouted above the din of the crowd.

Annie laughed at the minister's ad lib and gave her new family one final embrace before taking Auggie's hand and turning them around to the cheering crowd behind them. Well, she thought, they didn't want tradition and knew that their situation was out of the norm, so there was really no other way to do this.

The sight before her, though, had her smiling again. Danielle was crying silently. Katia and Chloe were cheering and clapping. Joan was clapping and wiping a tear off of her cheek. Arthur's eyes, she noted, were glassier than usual, but he didn't seem to want to give in to the emotion welling around him.

Auggie's family, on the other hand, had no compunction to hold back. His brothers were hooting and hollering, and his dad was holding his mom to his chest as her back shook with sobs. Annie couldn't help but think that Deborah went from having only her as family to gaining a grandmother, a grandfather, several uncles and aunts and cousins.

For her part, she'd gained the one man she'd loved for a decade, even during the years she gave herself to another. Now life had come back around and given her a second chance at happiness. She didn't expect it to be tea and roses, but what in life was?

What was important was that she wasn't alone, not anymore. As she, Auggie and Deborah moved down into the hugging and kissing crowd of relatives and friends, Annie thought, she'd never be alone again.

THE END

* * *

**A/N I know, I know. I jumped ahead in time. But over the past few days, I'd wondered what else could I write? I didn't want to drag out plot points or introduce anything else. So, I sat down this afternoon to finish off this story and give it a fond farewell. Thank you to call2worshp for gifting me this wonderful story to play with over the past couple of months. I now hand it back to you, finished and complete. Think of it as a present to you and your family who, through your messages, gave me some ideas and inspirations.**

**Season3 is around the corner, and hopefully it'll give all of us a shot of inspiration and switch on the muses for some exciting fanfiction.**

**Now that it's done, leave a word? Thanks in advance.**


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